Libretto
by Nuclear Eggs
Summary: Luka was brought up as a freak in a freakshow. When she met Miku, an aspiring singer, she fell in love. Based off of Phantom of the Opera and Dark Woods Circus. Negitoro, Miku/Luka.
1. Chapter 1

"It's cold," said Luka, pitifully, to the other two deformities in the freakshow. She hugged her knees closer to herself and shivered as the wind blew past the open doors of the caravan, bringing with it snow that landed on her arms and hair.

The brown-haired girl in the cage to her, Meiko, shifted, raised her clawed, monstrous hand. "Don't complain."

Kaito, the blue-haired boy in the cage on Luka's left, sighed. "Well, we can't do anything about the cold..."

Luka nodded and lowered her head, staring at the filthy hay that covered the floor of her cage. She toed the wood around her, weak and rotting, like her face. Her face...She had been born deformed, or so she thought. She did not ever remember a time when she did not have this cursed face. She had no right eye - there was nothing there but a gaping black hole, with pus oozing out of it at times when she got especially filthy, and Luka was always careful to not touch it, for it would aggravate the ever-present pain there. Did she ever have a right eye? Luka didn't know - her memories only began at the point where she was thrown into the freakshow some months ago. Everything before that was blank, black...nothing.

Of course, having no right eye was only one of Luka's deformities. Although, roughly speaking, half of her face was more or less normal, the other half was not: papery, skeletal, demonic, misshapen. Her corpse-like skin bit around her nose, intruded onto her lips. She appeared to have only one nostril as well, although, Luka was certain that she had two - it's just that her right one was hidden.

Luka tried to cheer herself by thinking that at least her body was normal - Kaito and Meiko had to contend with dietary issues and misshapen arms. When it comes to opening time in the freak show, they were the ones who get the most jeers and insults - but Luka was the one who received the most fear. She was paraded as "The Living Corpse". Sometimes, smelling salts had to be administered for the more delicate ladies who fainted at the sight of Luka's face.

Luka coughed against her knobby knees - it really was cold. The snow showed no sign of stopping as the caravan's floor became streaked with white. Meiko bore it stoically, but Kaito's teeth were beginning to chatter, as were Luka's. Miserably, Luka wondered when the freak show showman would close the doors. She hoped she wouldn't get sick. The showman never spent any time caring for the freaks when they became ill, so mostly, the freaks had to take care of each other. Not that it helped, much - Luka recalled dimly when she became sick a few weeks earlier. It was terrible, her body wracked with weakness and uncontrollable shivers, sweating, fever, a throat so sore she couldn't eat or drink without intense pain shooting down her throat, deep, phlegm-filled coughs...Meiko was very poor at taking care of her, her morphed and twisted arms and clawed hands ill-fitted for such delicate things, and Kaito tried to help by giving Luka his food, but the thought of eating Kaito's food was disturbing - even though Luka knew that he was only trying to help, and appreciated that.

Thankfully, the showman (who was only ever known as Mr. M) came by and closed the doors, stopping any more snow from intruding into the confines of the caravan. He was a thin man, with a luxuriously black mustache and clever gray eyes. He didn't speak much to the freaks, and silently gave them their food. Meiko received stale bread with a pat of butter, along with a special, easy to grip bowl of water to accommodate her hands. Luka had a bowl of gruel with brownish vegetables in it, some his meat, and water. Kaito had a human hand and a few human fingers (of unknown origin) thrown into her cage, and water. Luka said nothing - she only hungrily dug into her gruel, using her hands to scoop the viscous fluid into her mouth, and chewed on her strips of dried meat after dipping them into some of the gruel to soften them.

After that, she wiped her hands on her rags and got up, searching for a relatively clean place to lay her head, somewhere that wasn't filthy with excrement or sweat or spit. Eventually, she found a place to the left, and, with a sigh, collapsed there to go to sleep.

-o-o-o-

Luka bore the shrieks and jeers, but they always pounded into her frail and delicate young mind. Everyone who saw her face treated her the same, no matter where the caravan traveled - like a demon or a grotesque, straight out of a horror novel.

It hurt, and the only ones who understood were her fellow freaks, who also had to bear with the endless flood of taunts and scorn. Luka knew that she spent more than a few days grabbing onto her friends' hands for reassurance.

One day, the caravan pulled into a clearing in the forest, after several days of travel. Luka had always enjoyed traveling. She did not have to bear with the insults then, and she did not have to bear with being treated like a monster by everyone outside. Luka liked to look outside from the small windows in the caravan and see the world outside. Sometimes the caravan passed through cities, big human-made buildings and towers, normality going around her without a care in the world, and sometimes the caravan passed through small, pastoral villages, where Luka would enjoy the peaceful sights of the fields and crops. More often than not, however, the caravan passed through long stretches of lonely road, and the scenery would change before Luka's eyes. Those were the places she liked traveling through best. In more populated areas, there would always be people, and Luka envied the undeformed. Even the ugliest human was beautiful in Luka's eyes, for no one was uglier than herself, born with the face of a monster.

In the clearing, Mr. M left the caravan unattended - he had no fear of the freaks escaping, for he would always carry the keys with him - to help the other people in the circus set up everything. Luka huddled in the corner and tried to mentally prepare herself for the inevitable flood of people hurling abuse at her. She was never prepared enough, but it gave Luka some reassurance to try to strengthen herself for the ordeal ahead. Maybe someday she would be strong enough to endure the taunts. Meiko and Kaito were silent - Luka knew that they were also mentally preparing themselves for everything.

When the circus opened, however, not many people came to the freakshow, to Luka's great relief. Mr. M only ever yelled at Luka to show her face when there was a crowd, so Luka was spared from insult by hiding her face in the corner. Although some people insulted her, they were insults based on guessing, and had no impact.

"What's wrong with this one?" a high, piping voice asked, young, sounding like someone around Luka's age. Luka frowned to herself. She hated it when people her own age insulted her.

"Something, I'm sure," said a more mature voice. "I'll wait outside, Miku - come back when you're done."

"Okay," the voice said, obediently - Miku, Luka guessed. She felt the weight of the girl's stare on her, even though Luka wasn't looking at the girl.

"Hello," said Miku.

Luka did not reply. To reply was to dare, and Luka did not dare with children, who she knew were much crueler than their adult counterparts. Children were the most frightening ones of all, in their innocence.

"Hello," said Miku, again, and again. Luka stayed silent. She was an expert at silence.

"Um...I guess you don't really want to talk," Miku said. Luka heard her put her hands on the bars. "That's okay. I'll talk then. Do you have a favorite food? Mine's leeks! It's really great! It's healthy and I like it with chicken, most of the time. Do you know what a leek is?" Miku paused, and after hearing no answer, launched into a detailed description of leeks and the various foodstuffs one could create with them.

Luka's stomach growled painfully as she became aware that she had not eaten in two days, and also, that she had never eaten any leeks, or any chicken, ever. She suddenly felt a surge of resentment towards the girl that galvanized her into action.

"Don't talk about food," Luka mumbled as she willed her weakened legs to stand. She darted her left eye over to look at Miku. Miku was a teal-haired girl, with wide, innocent blue eyes. She radiated purity and kindness. Luka warily stared at her, clandestinely hiding the deformed part of her face. She did not know Miku's intentions, so she could not trust her. Sometimes the most angelic children in looks were the most demonic ones.

"Okay," said Miku obligingly. "So, what's your name?"

Luka sighed. "Read the placard." She herself could not read, but she knew that Mr. M placed placards in front of each cage with the name and nickname of the freak in question.

Miku paused. "The Living Corpse, Luka...Wow! Are you really a corpse?"

"No," said Luka.

"Why do they call you the living corpse, then?" Miku was curious now.

Luka decided to not answer that, and shifted herself away from Miku and sat back down, feeling ever more intent on hiding her face.

"Nevermind," Miku said quickly, picking up on Luka's mood. "Let's talk about something else, then. So...how are you?"

Luka laughed, a short, derisive one. "What do you think?"

"Oh...sorry," said Miku, who sounded a bit cowed by Luka's laugh.

Luka suddenly found herself regretting her harsh tone and laugh. She had very no friendly human contact outside of Meiko and Kaito. Miku was an outsider, but she was an outsider who was actually talking to Luka, and to Luka, that was something that should not be thrown aside.

"No, it's okay," said Luka, taking on a gentler tone. "So, is this your first time in the circus?"

"Yeah," Miku's voice was a little bit more subdued. "I've never seen freaks before. So I was curious. I know that that boy can't eat normal food, and that girl has weird arms, but what's wrong with you?"

Luka winced slightly. "...my face."

"Oh? Can you please show me your face, then?" Miku asked brightly.

Luka knew what would follow after Miku saw her face. Terror, and fear. She would be seen as a monster and Miku would never ever talk to her again ever and Luka did not want that. She shook her head. She knew that Miku was only talking to her out of curiosity, but Miku was at least somewhat friendly.

"Oh. Okay," Miku sounded more than a little disappointed. "So, what do you do?"

"Sit here and listen to people yell or throw things at me," said Luka. "After that I eat and sleep here on the hay."

"That's terrible!" Miku sounded shocked. "Really?"

"Yes," said Luka.

"I'm sorry," said Miku. "Does everyone else here have the same thing?"

"Of course," said Meiko, cutting into the conversation. "What else do you think we're here for? Our lives are just like this."

Meiko butting in also made Kaito talk. "It's bad, but it's not like we can help it. We were born like this, mostly."

Miku's voice filled with pity. "Wow...I didn't know...that's horrible..."

Luka found herself annoyed by the pitying tone in Miku's voice. "Don't pity me," she snapped. "I hate it."

"Ah," Miku's voice shrunk back as if stung. "Okay."

Once again Luka found herself regretting her harsh tone. She was terrible at this sort of thing, so it seemed. "So what do you do?" Luka's poor attempt at reestablishing conversation.

"My dad's a chemist," said Miku softly. "So he makes medicine for people. My mom helps. We live on the upper floor of the apothecary...I go to school..."

School? Luka was completely unfamiliar with the subject. "What's school?"

"You don't know...?" Miku sounded surprised. "It's a place you go to learn things. Like letters and 'rithmetic."

Learning things...that caught Luka's interest. "Teach me," she demanded.

"What?" said Miku, and Meiko at the same time.

Luka still kept her face hidden, although she was smiling now. "Teach me. I want to know more about things. Being stuck here in this cage...I don't know anything. I can't read or anything. I want to learn things."

"But I don't know if I can teach," said Miku. " I'm no good at school."

"I don't care," said Luka. "At least teach me how to read, and maybe you can bring in, what are they called...'books'?"

"Are you crazy?" Meiko sounded irritated. "If Mr. M catches you with a book, then-"

"Mr. M..." Luka glanced over at the chair where Mr. M sat. He was sleeping. "He won't know. Please teach me."

There was a pregnant pause before Miku finally answered. "I'll try."

-o-o-o-

Miku came over more often. The freaks would all cluster as close as they can to the bars of the cage, Luka included - although she kept to the shadows and kept her head down so that Miku could not see her face. Miku started out by teaching the freaks the alphabet - something that they all picked up on quickly. Miku then moved on to pronunciation and writing out the alphabet. She seemed surprised by how fast the freaks learned everything.

"Woww," Miku stared at Luka's careful writing in the dust. "It took me weeks to learn how to write my own name! Great job!"

Luka smiled proudly, although Miku could not see her face. Getting praised by Miku also brought a warm glow to Luka's chest, which only drove her to learn quicker and quicker.

Eventually Miku brought little booklets with little stories - readers, she called them. Luka struggled with reading at first - the words wouldn't organize themselves in her head. To Luka's small annoyance, Kaito picked up on reading very quickly, and Miku praised Kaito a lot more than she praised Luka, who was still struggling with reading simple sentences such as "The dog ran."

After Kaito delivered a stirring reading of the epic tale of the cat on the mat, Miku praised him to the high heavens. Luka frowned, although Meiko seemed very happy at Kaito's success, no jealousy at all. Luka didn't want to feel jealous - she was happy for her friend's success, of course, but she didn't like having Miku's attention taken away from her. So Luka delved even deeper into learning how to read. To her dismay, Meiko mastered her reader earlier than she did, and Luka saw herself rapidly falling behind.

She couldn't let that happen, so she spent hours practicing when Mr. M was away, reading to herself over and over. Meiko and Kaito tried to help, but their explanations were poor. However, eventually, Luka too managed to completely finish reading her reader.

"So they went into the house. Frank's basket was soon filled, and he went home happy," Luka read to Miku.

There was a brief silence before Miku broke into a smile. "That's great, Luka! You did it!"

Luka could hardly believe it herself, and she felt the warm glow of happiness spread in her chest again. She dropped the book, her fingers trembling. She was so happy, so ecstatic, she almost lost control and let Miku see her face - but of course, she couldn't let that happen. Instead, she settled for taking hold of Miku's hand - something that Miku would usually only allow when Luka did well when learning due to the filthy state of Luka's hands.

"Do you have any more readers?" Kaito asked after some time passed.

Miku nodded. "Yeah, I have a few more."

"Great!" Kaito's eyes lit up.

"Wait," said Meiko. "What about arithmetic?"

Miku's smile immediately dropped, and she looked down. "I'm...not good at math...I'm sorry."

She looked so sad Luka started to feel sad herself. "It's okay, Miku," said Luka. "Do you have any math books? We can read those, right?"

"Oh!" Miku brightened up. "Okay, I'll show you that! But how long are you going to stay here? You're a traveling circus, right?"

Luka was immediately brought back into the world of reality. Even though the circus stopped for a very extended time in here, Luka wouldn't be able to see Miku forever. The circus would move on. She wouldn't be able to see Miku anymore. Luka's lips trembled.

"We're leaving in three days, I think," said Meiko.

"Three days," Miku mumbled.

_Not three days! _Luka felt the last remnants of her happiness disappear, and she tightened her grip on Miku's hands. That was so short, no time at all.

"That's not fair," said Luka, allowing herself to act her age this one time. "I want to see you more."

Miku smiled kindly at her. "I want to see you too, Luka."

"Ignoring us two as always," Luka heard Meiko say to Kaito in a loud stage whisper - necessary seeing how separate their cages were. Kaito only chuckled lightly in reply. Luka ignored them.

"I don't want to leave here," said Luka, her voice subdued. "You're my friend. My only outside friend. You're the only one who's nice to me..."

Miku rubbed the back of Luka's hand with her thumb. "I'll try to see you again."

"Okay," Luka nodded. "Promise?"

"I promise," said Miku.

-o-o-o-

It was the last day. Luka was very aware of the time ticking away, counting down the time she had left with Miku. Miku had become precious to her. Luka did not want her to leave at all - when Miku was there, Luka would feel happy and excited and at ease, but when she wasn't, Luka would always look forward to seeing her again.

"Remember your promise," said Luka firmly.

"I will," said Miku. "I always keep my promises!" She paused, and then spoke again, quieter. "Since this is our last day, could you please show me your face?"

That took Luka for a turn. Could she trust Miku to see her face? Would Miku be scared like everyone else? No...Miku was different, right? She was her friend. She wouldn't be scared of Luka, not like everyone else. Miku was good. Luka trusted her.

It was still scary, though.

"Please don't run away," Luka said.

"I won't," Miku said. "I promise!"

Luka smiled and believed her, and with that hope in her chest, she raised her head and let Miku see her for the first time.

Miku stared at her face, and then, she began to scream in complete terror. Luka suddenly felt rigid with shock. Miku was backing away from her as if she was a monster or a demon.

Immediately, Luka's expression contorted into one of anger as she remembered what Miku said. She promised. She said that she always kept her promises. Then...what was this? She broke it. She was just like everyone else! How could Luka have been so stupid? She should've known to not trust her. Outsiders couldn't be trusted. They were different. They were undeformed. Luka couldn't pollute them with her demonic imperfections. Miku's screaming was drilling into Luka's brain, confirming everything about herself - that she was a monster who no one would love and no one would treat kindly, not ever. Immediately, Miku's mother rushed into the room and took Miku away, just like that. Luka would never see Miku again, and their last meeting ended like this, with screams of terror and betrayal.

Bitterness filled Luka's heart, and she stomped away back into her corner, hating everything. Meiko and Kaito were silent. Mr. M walked in shortly after and blew out the candle.

The caravan was plunged into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Luka," Kaito ventured, nervously.

Luka shifted on the hay and glared at Kaito with a frown on her face. It was two hours after Miku left, and it was night. In the morning, the caravan would pick up and move and leave this town. That was perfectly fine by Luka - after her betrayal, Luka found that she was sick of this town. Looking at the reader Miku gave her would give Luka a sense of extreme bitterness. Luka just wanted to forget about Miku, forget about the pain and hurt Miku did to her...but she couldn't. Miku haunted her thoughts, never leaving, always there. It irritated Luka beyond anything else.

"What is it, Kaito?" Luka ground out. Kaito looked a little bit cowed.

"Are you…" Kaito began, and then shook his head. "Nevermind."

Luka laughed disdainfully and said nothing more. Kaito apparently couldn't muster up the courage to talk to Luka anymore, so he just sat back and stared at the hay. Somewhere inside, Luka knew that she was being unfair to Kaito, but she couldn't help it. All the anger and bitterness in her needed to get out somewhere. Kaito's merely the easiest target, in his kindness.

Luka began to feel guilty, so she looked over at Kaito again. "Sorry, Kaito. I'm just...I'm just in a bad mood. It's not your fault."

Kaito nodded. "It's okay. Well," he paused. "Just don't...look like that. I know what Miku did hurt, but..."

Luka growled, a message for Kaito to shut up. Kaito understood and quieted. During all this, Meiko had been sitting back, looking through the one math textbook Miku brought her. She raised her head, slightly, and glanced at Luka and Kaito.

"Luka," said Meiko. "Don't take everything out on us. Kaito's just trying to help."

"Just trying to-" Luka got up to her feet, her face contorted in anger. "Just trying to help? How? By rubbing in everything? 'Don't look like that', it's not like I can help what I look like! And don't talk about Miku! I hate her!"

Meiko merely sighed and looked back down at her textbook, apparently dismissing Luka as a lost case. Hands shaking, Luka sat back down and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't. Images of Miku swirled around her head, mocking her. To be taunted with this short period of happiness, and to have it all betrayed like this...Luka was amazed that she was apparently the only one of the freaks who was really upset about all this. Kaito and Meiko did not react as strongly to Miku's betrayal as Luka did...probably because their deformities were not hidden, and Miku did not ostracize them as she did with Luka.

Luka felt tears roll down her face from her left eye, and hiccuped out a small sob, rubbing the wetness away from her face with her hand. It's not fair. Why was Miku okay with Meiko and Kaito, but not with her? Surely, Meiko and Kaito's deformities were far larger than Luka's...Meiko had her arms, Kaito had his food. The only thing wrong with Luka was her face...

But faces were what identify people, right? When people look at Kaito and Meiko, they see someone with a regular face, like them. Indeed, Kaito and Meiko could even be considered as relatively good looking. However, Luka had the face of a monstrosity. There was little to relate to in her face - only the non-deformed part of it, but the eye was drawn to imperfection, so Luka's deformities far overshadowed the normality of the other half of her face.

Luka felt herself sink back into self-loathing. No one would ever love her, because she looked like this. Meiko and Kaito left her alone with her miserable thoughts, and hours passed.

Kaito and Meiko were fast asleep at this time, but Luka was still awake, her heart and mind too agitated to settle down for sleep. She stared blankly at her toes, half submerged in the hay. Then, she heard the sound of a timid knock on wood to her right. Luka lifted her head, puzzled, and peered out the barred window of the caravan.

She saw Miku staring at her. At the sight of Luka, Miku flinched, a little, but she closed her eyes and seemed to be gathering herself together, before opening her eyes again. This time, she stared at Luka stoically.

Luka was feeling confused, and vaguely happy. But then, that happiness and confusion became washed away with the remembrance of what happened earlier in the day, and Luka's face became set in a frown.

"What do you want?" Luka asked. "Come to throw things at me?"

Miku shook her head. "No...I'm here to say sorry."

"Sorry?" Luka stared at Miku. "You're sorry?"

"Yeah..." Miku nodded, looking rather ashamed. "I'm sorry for screaming. And running away. Even though I promised I wouldn't, I...I did."

Luka didn't dare to let herself feel happy. "Do you mean it?"

Miku glanced about, nervously, before returning her gaze to Luka's. "Of course! If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have come back. I'm sorry, Luka. I know that people treat you mean 'cause of your face, and I don't want to treat you mean too."

Luka felt her face crack into an unfamiliar smile as a flood of emotion filled her with happiness, so much she felt like she could burst. "Miku...will you keep your other promise too?"

"Yeah," Miku reached her fingers through the bars, and Luka took hold of them, gripping them tightly and savoring Miku's warmth. "We'll see each other again. I promise."

"No breaking it this time," said Luka, her voice serious, her gaze doubly so.

Miku scratched the back of her head with her other hand sheepishly. "I won't break it."

Luka's gaze softened. "Promise you won't break your promise?"

"I promise I won't break it, Luka," said Miku. "I'll see you again. You'll see!"

Luka smiled and felt at peace, safe in Miku's presence. A few minutes later, Miku withdrew her fingers from Luka's.

"I'm sorry," said Miku. "I gotta get back home now, 'else my parents would be mad."

"Oh," said Luka, frowning at the thought of not being able to see Miku for who knows how long. "...okay."

"Bye, Luka," said Miku quietly, in little more than a whisper. "I'll see you again someday."

"Good bye," said Luka, and she watched Miku run until she disappeared into the horizon.

-o-o-o-

It is no secret that children do not stay children forever, and the same goes for freaks. Luka, Meiko, and Kaito were not immune to the aging process. They became taller, their voices matured, their faces became less rounded, less childish, and their bodies developed accordingly as the years passed.

Even as Luka grew, however, she still kept the memory of Miku alive in her mind. Hardly a day would pass without at least one small thought of Miku. Luka still kept the now-battered and dirty reader that Miku gave her so long ago, rereading it obsessively, tracing her fingers underneath passages that gave her the most trouble, passages that Miku had to coach her through. Luka would close her eyes and remember the feeling of Miku close to her, quietly explaining pronunciation to Luka the best she could.

Whenever people came by to stare at the freaks, Luka found that she merely had to withdraw into herself and fill her mind with nostalgic thoughts of Miku to prevent herself from being hurt. So even when people called her a grotesque monster or a freak of nature, even when they threw things at her, Luka bore it all with a smile on her face.

For some reason, however, Luka's bliss was not well-received by Meiko or Kaito.

"You're living in a dream world," Meiko said to Luka one day, a frown on her face. "All you do is read that same old reader. Look. I don't want to hurt you, but I think you need to wake up to reality."

"What do you mean?" asked Luka, looking up from the reader. "I am in reality. I'm awake right now, aren't I?" She paused. "Hey, when do you think Miku's going to-"

"Enough about Miku!" Meiko interrupted, anger invading her tone and voice. "That's all you ever talk about! Miku, Miku, Miku! Look, Luka. It's been years. She's not going to come back. She promised you, but think about it. How much is a little promise made years ago worth? You need to wake up, Luka."

Luka stared at Meiko, taken aback by her harsh words. "What...what do you mean?"

"Meiko's right," said Kaito, reluctantly. "I like Miku. She's nice. But...the way you talk about her is like…she's your whole life. We haven't seen her since we were eight. We're twelve now. I'm sorry, Luka. It's been too long...and…" he paused, took a breath. "I don't think she'll be back."

Luka swung her gaze over to Kaito, and began to feel hot anger bubble up in her chest. Who were these two to talk like this about Miku? She said she'd see her again. She promised. And Miku said that she never broke her promises. Luka gently brushed her reader's cover and placed it down on the hay before getting up to her feet. The top of her head brushed against the top of the cage - she was almost too tall to stand fully upright in it now.

"She promised!" Luka said, loudly, her voice full of indignant anger, her mind rushing to defend Miku. "She won't break her promise! I trust her."

Meiko smiled, but it was not a nice smile. It was a thin one, one of barely concealed pity. "You really have passed all these years living in the past, haven't you? Sitting in your cage, thinking of Miku all day, reading the same things over and over...you're twelve now, but you're still eight years old on the inside."

Luka gritted her teeth, her mind suddenly diving into turmoil. What's wrong with these two? Luka wasn't completely cutting herself off from the outside. It's just that memories of Miku were far more pleasant than real life, where Luka had to deal with endless abuse. Thinking of good times during bad times...that's normal, right? Although, was Kaito right? Almost immediately, Luka dismissed the thought. Miku would be back. She promised.

Unfortunately for Luka, Meiko was there to make her mood topple down. "A promise made by a rash eight year old is no promise at all. Wake up, Luka. Face it - Miku forgot about us-"

"Shut up!" Luka immediately dived towards Meiko, but the bars of the cage separated them. Luka clutched the bars tightly in her hands, knuckles white. "She didn't forget about us! She's better than that! I believe in her! Don't talk about her like that!" Luka shook the bars, glaring daggers at Meiko, who stared back, her red eyes placid and calm, irritatingly so, and Luka felt her anger increase as she realized that Meiko wasn't taking her seriously at all. "Who are you to talk like this, anyways! Saying stuff like that'll take you nowhere!"

Kaito sighed from behind her. "We can't help it, Luka. We're freaks in a freak show. People like us...well, we aren't very happy."

Even Kaito was beginning to sound depressed and bitter. Luka felt a burst of horror inside of her. Perhaps...was all this because of all these years spent in the freak show? They weren't so sad and miserable before. Luka slowly let go of the bars as she began to think. They can't stay like this forever, cooped up in a small caravan for the rest of their lives. They had to escape, somehow.

"We have to escape," Luka mumbled.

Meiko laughed disbelievingly. "Impossible."

Luka looked at Kaito, who similarly shook his head. "I don't think that'll work."

So hopeless. Luka frowned at the two of them. "What do you mean? We have to. Look at what it's done to you two."

"Look at what it's done to us?" Meiko's voice was coldly mocking. "We just grew up. That's all."

Luka looked down. Maybe Meiko was right - maybe Luka was just being childish. Maybe she just had to grow up, like what Meiko said. But if growing up meant staying in the freak show caravan forever and accepting life to be this, one endless, miserable parade of indignity that led only to bitter hearts and bitter minds...Luka didn't want to grow up.

"I don't care," said Luka, softly. "Don't you ever want to go out to the outside? Explore? Do things?"

"With my diet, I don't think I can do much," Kaito's voice was like a sort of smothering cloud. "With your face, well...you know how people will act. And Meiko's arms will mark her out right away. We can't just run away from ourselves, Luka...we're how we are. We're freaks. There's nothing we can do about it. This is where we belong."

"No," Luka said, testily. "We're still human. I...I want to escape. I want to get out."

"Well," said Meiko. "Good luck with that, then."

-o-o-o-

Luka concocted her escape plan in secrecy. She observed Mr. M's movements with far more scrutiny than she did before, trying to see if he was ever careless with his keys.

He never was. Mr. M always had them on his belt, guarded. He only fell asleep in chairs that were far away from the freaks, so Luka couldn't reach the keys.

Luka decided to look for alternative means of escape. She carefully picked her way through the cage, looking for good rocks to break the lock with. In the end, she found a small, sharp piece of iron (she wryly remembered that a small little girl who couldn't have been older than seven threw it at her, cutting Luka's left arm. That cut became infected later on...) along with a few rocks, shards of glass, and some wood. She looked at the lock, and then at the rocks, wood, glass, and iron.

A plan formed in her mind, and Luka set to whittling the wood with the iron. Her tools could be easily hidden in convenient stacks of hay, and the small wood carvings blended in with the hay well. Eventually, Luka had what looked like a serviceable lockpick set - a torsion wench and a few picks.

There was a keyhole on both sides of the cage, so now, all Luka had to do was wait. Mr. M always slept in a different place than where the freaks were kept, so at night, Luka fiddled with the lock for what seemed like hours - she had no idea how to lockpick, only knowing how to do it from hearing various thieves talk about it within the confines of the freak show on quieter days. Apparently the thieves didn't regard the freaks as threats to their livelihood, and for most part, they were right - Meiko did not listen to the thieves, and Kaito wasn't the sort of boy who would steal thingS. Luka, however, took in every word. She still had her lust for learning, after all. It paid off now, though - eventually, the door sprang open, and Luka tumbled out of the cage, lying on the wooden floor, gasping to herself. Freedom. She was out of the cage. She slowly got to her feet and looked back at her cage. It seemed so small, now.

Then, Luka remembered Meiko and Kaito. They were sleeping, but Luka couldn't just leave them like this. She woke them up by throwing small pebbles at them as gently as she could, and eventually, they roused. Meiko sat up, blinking sleepily at Luka, before growing alert. She stared at Luka in disbelief. Kaito gaped at her.

Putting her finger to her lips, Luka knelt down and began to pick at Meiko and Kaito's locks. The doors of the cages swung open, and Meiko and Kaito tumbled out of the cages also. Luka then crept over to the door of the caravan and picked that lock also. It opened.

The cool night breeze hit Luka in the face, and she took several deep breaths as she felt the wind caress her as softly and as gently as it would a lover. However, she knew she wasn't completely out of the woods yet - she still had to escape the confines of the circus. She leapt out of the caravan, landing on the ground with a loud thump. Immediately, Luka froze and looked about, trying to see if she woke anyone.

Nothing. The circus tents were quiet and the performers were all inside. Luka let out a sigh of relief before beckoning Meiko and Kaito out of the caravan. They hesitantly followed after, but Meiko's foot caught on a broken nail and she gave out a small yelp of pain.

Luka heard shifting from inside the caravan and in the tents outside. Panic swelled up in her heart. Not now. Not when she was so close to escaping! She wasn't strong enough to carry Meiko, who was whimpering, but Kaito was.

"Pick up Meiko," Luka ordered.

Kaito stared helplessly at Meiko. "But-"

"Pick up Meiko, now!" Luka said, louder than she intended. She clapped her hand over her own mouth and looked around. People were beginning to come out of the tents, mumbling irritably. The caravan creaked behind her - Mr. M was awake.

No. No! Luka's eyes widened in complete fear, and Kaito picked up Meiko.

"Hey...aren't those the freaks?" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Yeah," said another voice. "What a pain - I told Machi to get better locks for em...come on, let's catch them."

If they got caught, Luka knew they wouldn't be able to escape. She had to think of something, quick. She caught Kaito's worried expression, and Meiko's vaguely frightened one. Luka had to take responsibility for this - she was the one who let them out, after all. She had to lead them. She took a deep breath.

"Run!" she screamed.

Everyone ran - the people trying to catch them included. Kaito was slowed due to the weight of carrying Meiko. Luka grabbed onto Kaito's sleeve and dragged him along into the forest. Branches whipped into Luka's face - she didn't care. It's not like she could look any more hideous. She could hear the pursuit of the circus people behind her, and she desperately quickened her pace. Not good. Kaito was too slow due to Meiko, and with Meiko's foot wound, she couldn't walk on dirt right now.

It looked like they were going to be caught and forced back into the freak show again. Maybe it really was impossible to escape...Luka struggled on blindly through the forest, her heart pounding in her ears, her breathing loud and heavy, her legs feeling as though they were going to collapse.

"We have to split up," said Meiko.

"No," gasped Luka inbetween pants. "No. I can't. We have to. Stay together."

"If we stay like this, we'll all get caught," Meiko snapped. "Think about things, will you? At least if we split up, you might escape."

Luka shook her head, firmly. "No! We've always been together!" The thought of Meiko and Kaito not being there anymore was unimaginable. Luka would always go to sleep with them in the cages next to her, and she would always wake up with them as well. They would talk together every day, and they understood each other. They were the freaks. They had to stick together.

Which is why splitting up was not an option, no matter what.

"Luka..." Meiko's voice was warning, now.

"Meiko's right," Kaito said, breaths panting. "Thank you, Luka. But-"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Luka practically yelled, and she shook her head violently in refusal as she tightened her grip on Kaito's sleeve. She felt as though she was going to cry. "No!"

"Sorry, Luka," said Meiko again. "You don't have a choice."

Before Luka could even comprehend what Meiko was saying, she found that she was no longer holding onto Kaito's sleeve. She stumbled forward, confused, and looked back.

Meiko and Kaito were gone.

"Meiko?" Luka stammered, unwilling to believe it. "K...Kaito?"

No answer. There was only the sound of the circusmen getting closer. Somewhere to the left, Luka heard Meiko say something, taunting and confident, and the sound of the circusmen followed it, until there was no sound.

"Kaito?" Luka took a few steps towards the left. "Meiko...?"

Nothing, again. Luka then felt the sudden, crushing weight of loneliness land on her. She looked around. She was surrounded at all sides by trees and bushes. There was a sound of insects and crickets. It was cold and dark and night, and unbearably lonely.

Never before had Luka imagined that Meiko and Kaito would ever leave her. They were supposed to be together forever. Not split up. Not like this. Feeling a sudden, animal impulse, Luka ran after the place where she last heard Meiko's voice, screaming Meiko and Kaito's names, over and over and over, until her throat grew hoarse and her feet grew slow. She wheezed and panted and bent over, breathing heavily.

It then hit her completely. Meiko and Kaito were gone. Tears fell from Luka's face down to the ground.

"I-idiots," Luka sobbed quietly. "Stupids...running off like that...I...what's the point of being free if there's no one here with me?"

Luka kicked a tree in her anger, making nary a scratch on it. The tree didn't even shake - it just stood there, cold and unfeeling. Luka sank down to her knees. "No..."

Meiko and Kaito had run away to save Luka from being captured again, but Luka was afraid. Freedom was a thing too vast for her to comprehend. She had been locked up in a cage for all her life. This was too much for her...and she had to face it all by herself. Luka cried into the dirt, alone.

-o-o-o-

It had been a few days.

Luka was still in the woods, completely lost, and feeling numb. She survived on eating berries and plants, although she ate one plant that made her very sick, and she vomited everything up, so now she's hungrier than ever before. At least in the freak show, there had been regular meals. Luka envisioned the gruel and dried meat she had in the cage, and sighed. Such luxuries were gone now. She stuffed a few more berries in her mouth.

"So this is what freedom is like," she mumbled to herself. She had developed a habit of talking to herself - it made everything seem less lonely. She sighed and walked onward.

Common sense would dictate that if one was to walk in one direction for long enough, one would be able to get to someplace new. Well, Luka had been walking in the woods for days, and she was still in the woods. She frowned. This was terrible. If Meiko was here, she'd know what to do, and if Kaito was here, he'd be nice and comforting.

But there was no point in thinking that. They were gone now. Luka didn't even know if they had escaped or not. She hoped they did. She hoped they were happy somewhere. She hoped they were safe with a roof over their heads and food. She hoped they were in better circumstances than her, alone and lost and starving in the woods. Luka pretended that they were. She thought that if she believed it hard enough, it would be true. So she believed that Meiko and Kaito were safe as hard as she could.

Lost in her daydreams, Luka stumbled over a tree root and fell over, with a large cry of pain. Wincing, she got up and dusted off herself.

Then, laughter. Luka's eyes widened and she whirled around, trying to detect the source of the laughter. She couldn't find it. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. Luka suddenly became very aware of her weakness - a little lost twelve year old girl in the woods, deformed and unarmed. People could do whatever they liked with her, with impunity. Luka's knees trembled at the thought of it. She had a vague conception of what some people did to girls like her thanks to the insults hurled at her in the freak show. It was scary. She felt like she wanted to cry, but then she remembered that crying only made it worse, so she tried not to, fought back the tears.

"Who are you?" she asked to the forest.

The laughter stopped. "Oh, no one of import," said the voice. "It's just unusual to see monsters lost in the forest."

Luka angrily clenched her hands into fists. "Sh-shut up!"

The laughter started all over again, and, face flushed with shame, Luka looked down and said nothing. Then, something landed in front of her from a tree. It seemed to be a rucksack. Luka, confused, stared at it.

"It has food," said the voice. "You look hungry."

Luka warily kept back. "What if it's poisoned?"

"I don't poison my own food," said the voice, merriment creeping back into it again.

"Oh," said Luka. She was too hungry to argue any further, so she immediately opened the rucksack. Inside was a few slices of bread, and cheese, and dried meat. There was also a small bottle of milk. Luka's eyes widened. This was so much food! It was enough to feed her for several days at least.

"Thank you!" she said. "What's your name?"

"A guy like me has no name," said the voice. "Call me whatever you want - I don't care."

Luka thought. "Then, can I call you, um...Leon?" Leon was a name from the reader Miku gave her. Leon was in a story about chickens that laid eggs. Luka knew that people ate eggs, and since Leon owned chickens, and this person gave food to her, it's good enough.

"Sure," said Leon. "Whatever you want."

"Okay," said Luka, happily taking out a piece of bread and chewing on it. "So, do you usually run around with food?"

"Yes," said Leon. "So, were you born like that?"

Luka put down her bread and thought back. There it was again, that endless abyss of unknown memory. "Mm, yeah. Ever since I could remember, anyways."

There was a long silence, so long Luka thought Leon had left, but no - Leon spoke up some time later. "With a face like that, people would be scared of you, you know. Not much you can do to survive - people round these parts are suspicious. What you need is a mask."

"But...won't I look even more suspicious?" Luka frowned.

"You'd just look mysterious s'all," Leon's voice was calm. "Do you have any skills?"

"...I can read and write and do math," Luka said, slowly. Then, Leon jumped down from the tree and landed before her. He was younger than Luka thought - probably around seventeen or so. He was dressed in simple browns and greens, and that, combined with his sensible-looking brown eyes and cap, made him look wiser and more competent.

"That's good," Leon mused. "Tell you what. If you keep traveling this path north, you'd reach Levianta. I have an old mask from my eleventh birthday you can use - should fit you," he reached into his own pack and took out a black mask with a hooked nose. Luka put it on, obediently. Leon took a step back and looked at her critically.

"Good, good," he clapped his hands together. "A bit festive, but good!"

Luka couldn't help but to feel a little suspicious. "Yeah...why are you so nice to me?"

Leon shrugged. "Well, this is my job. I'm a woodsman guide of Levianta. I'm supposed to help travelers. I'm surprised you haven't run into any other guides before...but then again, maybe your face scared them all off."

Luka didn't like to be reminded of her deformity, and she looked down. "Oh." For a moment there, she thought she was special. She bit her lip and frowned.

"Cheer up," said Leon. He patted her on the head. "Once you reach Levianta, try to find someone that'll take you in. Maybe they could teach you some skills along the way. That way you can get yourself a job once you get older. Levianta is a small farm town though, but there are a few people here who have jobs that might interest you more."

Luka, dizzied, nodded. Leon grinned and took a step back, throwing the rucksack of food at Luka. She caught it.

"Well, see you," Leon raised his hand. "Other people to help, you know. Just follow the path and you'll be fine."

"O-okay," Luka nodded. Leon quickly climbed up a tree, and disappeared from her view. Luka turned and touched her face, unused to the weight of the mask.

Well, she knew she had to get used to it. It's something she'll have to wear for a long time, now. She hoped Miku would still recognize her with it on, but if she didn't, Luka supposed she could take it off for her.

"You'd better keep your promise, Miku," Luka whispered softly to the wind, and she headed down the path to Levianta.


	3. Chapter 3

Luka kept walking down the path. Night turned to day turned to night, and the food in Leon's rucksack was running out, but still Luka kept walking, putting one foot in front of the other, her eyes on the seemingly endless stretch of road before her. It was monotonous, but Luka had a strong desire to survive and to get out of the forest once and for all, so she didn't allow herself to get bored or angry. She had to focus on her goal.

Then, Luka heard a sound, a sound of merriment and people. Her masked head swung up and she looked around. It seemed to be coming from the right. Curious, but hesitant, Luka crept over to the right, going a little bit off the path - but she told herself to keep the path in view so that she wouldn't get lost all over again. The sounds of people grew louder, and Luka pressed on.

She saw a group of shabbily dressed people in a clearing huddled around a fire, eating and drinking and singing. Such festivity was something that Luka had never seen before, so she stood there, staring at them in complete confusion, wondering why they were so happy. One of the merrymakers raised his head and noticed Luka, before dipping his head back down and whispering to the person next to him, who looked up at Luka and then passed on the message to the person next to him. Eventually, the whole group quieted and they all stared at Luka, who was beginning to feel uncomfortable and a little bit frightened. There was something penetrating in their gaze. They were undeformed and normal, but something in their countenance marked them out as different from the people who visited the freak show caravan. They were new and mysterious and Luka didn't know if they could be trusted.

"Hello there," said the man holding an empty cookpot.

Luka gulped. "H-hi," she said.

A skinny, silver-haired woman sitting at the far end of the fire scowled at the cookpot man and Luka. "Don't talk to her. She's an outsider - you can tell by her eyes."

Eyes? More like eye. Luka frowned at her, but said nothing else. The people also didn't seem to know what to do with her either - some made attempts at conversation that were quickly shot down by the silver-haired woman, so the whole camp dissolved into very awkward staring.

"I guess I'll just leave you all alone now," Luka said after a very extended silence. She backed away. "Bye-" She felt herself bump into someone behind her, and then she very slowly turned and raised her eyes up at the person she bumped into, her mouth open and ready to apologize.

However, the person she bumped into looked the most frightening of all. He, or she, was wearing a long black cloak and a low black hat, along with a birdlike mask that hid his or her face from view. He or she resembled someone straight out of an old horror tale.

"What's all this, then?" the person in the bird mask asked. It was a male voice, deep and commanding.

"Some girl who wandered in here," mumbled the cookpot man. "Miriam doesn't like us talking to her. Did you get any money?"

The masked bird man looked down at Luka before looking over at the camp. He took out a small bag of money and threw it over at the group, who all immediately scrambled to catch it. "Yes. Not much, though - Levianta doesn't seem to like magic."

That got Luka's attention. She looked up at the masked bird man, awed. "Magic?"

The bird man seemed amused. "Yes. Although it's the sort of magic that relies on sleight of hand and deception rather than actual magic. Illusions and smoke and mirrors. I could teach you some, if you'd like-"

"Don't teach her, Tonio!" Miriam, the silver-haired woman, sounded affronted. "This is how we make a living. Don't go around teaching people how to do our secrets!"

Tonio sniffed. "It'd do no harm. She's merely a child. And look..." He lightly touched the hooked nose of Luka's mask. "She hides her face, like me."

There was a sudden loud guffaw from a mussy-haired boy dressed in motley. "I guess freaks go with freaks, eh?"

Luka swung around and faced the boy, glaring at him. "Shut up!"

Unfortunately, the boy only laughed more, and Luka stood there, feeling helpless and powerless, until she felt a hand land on her shoulder and lead her to a clearing. Luka realized that she was getting farther and farther from the road to Levianta, and she gasped, broke free of Tonio's grasp.

"I...I have to go to Levianta," Luka said.

Tonio regarded her curiously. "Is that so? But Levianta really has nothing to offer. Tell you what, how about you travel with us? We're a small troupe."

At the mere mention of 'troupe', Luka seized up. So this was another circus? Would she be locked in cages again, derided as a freak by everyone? With no escape? She shook her head violently.

"No," said Luka, backing away. "I don't want to be locked up in a cage again. I don't want to be trapped in there all by myself!"

Tonio did not say anything for a long time. "Did you ever look at yourself in the mirror?"

Luka paused. Mirror? She knew that those show reflections, but...Luka began to realize that she didn't even know what herself looked like. She knew what her skin felt like, that she had only one eye, but those were based on touch and sight and insults - not based on sight. "No..."

Tonio sighed. "Follow me."

He took Luka over to a large tent colored in dark, forbidding colors. The tent inside was dark. Luka stumbled along blindly behind Tonio, and eventually, Tonio stopped moving. Luka reached out a hand. She touched glass.

From behind her, she heard Tonio light a candle. Luka could now see her masked reflection staring at her from behind the glass. She looked so small and scared and weak. Luka stared at herself, from the rags she was dressed in to the mangy state of her pink hair, to her arms, bloody with cuts from tripping over things in the forest, knees scabbed. Her face remained hidden from her, though, the mask covering all of her features save for her mouth and her remaining eye. She then felt Tonio take off her mask, and then Luka saw herself.

The face that stared back at her was one of a demon. Luka took a step back. That couldn't be her. She couldn't really look like that, so ugly and frightening and hideous. Luka knew that she was a freak earlier, but this, this was too much. Luka started to scream and she immediately set upon the mirror, punching at it with her hands, trying to destroy the monster behind it. The monster's face was contorted, its mouth open, raw, animal anger behind its face, and that looked so terrible Luka was even more determined to destroy the mirror, and she hit it, again and again, ignoring the fresh lacerations on her arms and feet, ignoring the pain in her fingers. The shards of the mirror became streaked with blood, and when Tonio tried to drag her away from the mirror, Luka mistook him for the monster made flesh and bit him, and he cried out in pain and let her go. Even when the mirror was destroyed, Luka kept pounding away at the wooden framework behind the mirror, that monster in it still haunting her mind and her memories, overshadowing everything, powerful and ugly. That couldn't be her. She couldn't really look like that. She's not...

-o-o-o-

Luka kept the mask on at all times now.

She decided to, in the end, stay with the troupe. They had no freak show caravan, after all. She was mainly taken under Tonio's wing, and with him she learned how to make illusions, how to use mirrors to trick and deceive, how to make things disappear, how to manipulate people's minds and what they see and think with her words - an essential part of being a magician. She was a quick learner, made even quicker at the times when Tonio would explode in anger - he had a very unstable temperament.

The people in the troupe treated her kinder now, but Luka did not know why. Sometimes, when Tonio was resting - he was a frail man - Luka would seek out the other troupe members. From Big Al, the cook, she learned how to prepare for herself basic meals. From Miriam, the silver-haired woman who was so distrustful of her earlier, Luka learned about plants and their effects on people. She also learned how to make potions and tinctures and salves and elixirs that have a wide variety of effects if taken, or sometimes, even inhaled. From Oliver, the boy in motley who laughed at her, Luka learned how to dance and how to be quick and stealthy. From Lola, the most experienced musician, Luka learned how to sing and music theory, as well as how to play several varied instruments. And from Bruno, the man with the cookpot, Luka obtained books from his small library, and learned from there. She wanted to know things - she wanted to know everything.

Luka was solitary despite being in the troupe, though. She would sit back and stare at their dancing and playing at night on a log, the fire flickering and casting weird and unnatural-looking shadows that seemed to have come from a realm that was simply not here. The other people in the troupe treated her kindly enough, but Luka did not delude herself into believing that they were her friends. She may be twelve, but she wasn't stupid. She had better things to do than to waste time socializing, anyways - her days were spent pursuing knowledge, and her store of it grew by leaps and bounds. Her hunger for knowledge was all-consuming, and she learned with an almost religious fervor. However, the more she learned, the more distrustful the troupe became, until once more the troupe refused to teach her anything.

She was an outsider again. People glared at her, turned away from her. They began to whisper quietly and secretly that she was a devil sent to ruin them all, and by giving her their secrets, they had doomed themselves and their lives forever.

Luka's old circus troupe was not so superstitious. She began to think that perhaps this 'troupe' she was with now wasn't a troupe at all. In all the months she had been with them, they had only traveled, and every now and then a member of the troupe would leave to go somewhere, and then come back with money, and there would be much merriment that Luka would not take part in. She decided to ask Miriam about it - Miriam, the woman who was so against Luka at outset, was the only person in the troupe who was still somewhat friendly to her.

"Miriam," said Luka. Miriam looked up from her plants.

"Hello, Luka," said she in a not unkind voice. Luka paused. She didn't quite know how to break the subject.

"What are you doing?" Luka asked, finally.

Miriam laughed. "Do you have to ask? Do you recognize these plants?"

Luka glanced at them perfunctorily. There were five in all, and Luka recalled from memory the names of these plants and their properties. "Yes. I suppose you'll be making tinctures, then?"

"Yes," Miriam drew her gaze back down. "Oliver requested some."

Luka frowned. "Is there going to be a show next week?"

"You know our troupe doesn't hold shows," said Miriam, her gaze still focused on the plants.

"But you're a circus, right? Shows are what you're supposed to hold," said Luka.

Miriam sighed, heavily. "Have you ever heard of the proverb 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"No," said Luka.

"Think about it," said Miriam.

-o-o-o-

Luka thought about Miriam's words for a while, but dismissed them. She assumed that the people she was traveling with were vagabonds and outcasts, perhaps a little like her.

But the unfriendliness of the rest of the troupe hung down on her head like a cloud. Tonio did not talk to Luka anymore, for one - made all the more uncomfortable because, as his understudy (she had been promoted, but the troupe never held any shows, and so she never performed), she had to sleep in the same tent as him. Oliver and Big Al and Lola and Bruno did not talk to her either, and Oliver had taken to making jabs and insults at her. As the days passed, even Miriam fell under the paranoid spell, and she did not talk to Luka anymore. Tonio's angry fits came by more and more often, each point coming perilously close to physical violence.

Luka recognized that, for her, it was time to go. One night, when everyone else was asleep, she quietly put her meager possessions along with some food and equipment into the rucksack Leon gave her so long ago. She was just about done when the flap of the tent opened and Tonio skulked in, wearing his bird mask as always.

"Well," he said, and there was something new and dangerous in his voice. "Leaving now, are we? Without even so much as a good bye, or a thank you?"

Luka said nothing. She just stared at him.

"Well," he said to himself. "We'll fix that up now." He took a step towards Luka, and there was something so threatening in his posture that Luka shrank back. She imagined him producing a whip from the folds of his cloak and striking her, and Luka took a few more steps back.

"You act so big and intelligent and aloof, but you're really just a freak giving herself airs," Tonio continued. The words stuck into Luka's mind like thorns - she knew she should be used to it now, but she wasn't. Each insult hurt as much as the last. "You've never performed and you've never done anything for us...you're just like a leech, feeding off of our hospitality and goodwill." Another step forward, another step back. "And now you're leaving, after everything we've done for you."

There was no more room for Luka to back up, her back pressed against the fabric wall of the tent as Tonio skulked closer and closer.

"What are you going to do with that new knowledge, I wonder?" Tonio asked, his voice dark, eyes narrowed as he reached into his cloak. Luka's eyes widened as she saw a glint of light in the darkness, and she rolled to the side as Tonio stabbed with a knife. Luka let out a cry of surprise and backed up, before she quickly shut her mouth.

There was no point in screaming for help. She made no friends here. If she made any noise, it was unlikely that the rest of the troupe would treat her very kindly at all, with all their suspicious whispers around the campfire. They didn't trust her, they all regretted teaching her everything. Luka knew with terrible certainty that the troupe regarded her as a demon, sent to take their secrets.

Tonio hissed and ripped the knife out of the tent before charging at Luka again. He moved inhumanly fast, his dark clothes blending in the tent, and Luka winced as the knife whistled past her arm, cutting it open. But Luka was used to pain after her time in the freak show, and she thought as quickly as possible, eyes casting around the tent for something, some kind of weapon, something, _anything_...

And there it was. A mask, one of Tonio's hooked ones, the nose of it sharp enough to Luka's eyes. She scrambled and grabbed it. Tonio prepared to strike again, but before he could, Luka had darted in and stabbed him in the chest with his own mask.

Tonio let out a howl of pain - he was obviously unused to fighting, despite his violence - and he fell forward, knife clattering along floor, and started crawling towards the tent flap. Luka grabbed the knife, grabbed him by his shirt, and stabbed him over and over again. Blood, hot and wet, splattered on her face, on her body, stained the knife, and Luka only stopped stabbing once Tonio stopped struggling and gurgling on his own blood.

Panting, Luka got up and stared at his body, dead and cold. Her fingers loosened, let the knife fall. The blood was staining the floor of the tent. Luka picked up Leon's rucksack, feeling some quiet new emotion in her, as well as something inside of her die.

She had killed. Rather sloppily in her panic, but she killed someone. The thought of it did not horrify her as it should have. Instead, she felt oddly calm about it all. People really were fragile things. She stared at Tonio's corpse in nothing but pure contempt before she picked up the bloodied mask and fitted it on. Luka was a weak little child before, but not anymore. She didn't need to stay in this shabby camp, with these silly people she did not need. She could stand on her own two feet.

Luka exited the tent and walked out of the camp, rucksack in tow, not looking back. Inside, she felt a vague sense of excitement. Luka had been scared of corpses and killing before, but not anymore. Death - it promised power beyond Luka's wildest dreams. People were scared of it, of knives and pestilence and poison and drowning and other things that bring it, and Luka was determined to be Death's willing and eager apprentice. She wouldn't be weak and scared anymore – she would be strong and powerful, and scared of nothing.

Murder was only another art for her to master.

-o-o-o-

Luka traveled.

She had an apprenticeship at an architect's, and learned how to build. She left after the architect unmasked her face. She performed at fairs, dazzling people with her command of magic and illusions, but when fairs were few, she lied and stole. She took and learned what she needed from places, and moved on. Once, she even became recruited into an assassin's guild, which taught her even more, but Luka was kicked out after she amassed a bit too much power for the guildmaster's liking.

Years passed almost without her knowing. Luka had amassed money and clothes and knowledge, but she was nomadic. Sometimes, people would ask her why a girl her age was traveling like a vagabond, and Luka would answer that she was looking for someone, but she would give no names, and people were more often than not left with the impression that whoever Luka was looking for was so precious to her, even the act of giving people the name of the person she lost was something that was too much information to give to others.

It had been a terribly long time since Luka first escaped from the freak show, and she was becoming aimless. No town had who she sought - even when she returned to the town where the freak show caravan was when she met Miku...

"She moved?" Luka stood there, a quiet, thin figure in her cloak and mask. Her gloved fingers twitched.

The man in front of her chuckled weakly and nodded. "You mean Miku Hatsune, correct? Her father was the chemist, correct? Well, they've moved to Crypton now."

"Crypton...?" Luka, of course, knew what Crypton was. It was the biggest city in the country she was in at the moment. A bustling place that held a bustling mass of people. "Where exactly in Crypton?"

The man gulped and he looked at Luka some more before darting his eyes away. "Why do you want to know?"

"I have...things to discuss with her," said Luka, too late to realize that that was the exact wrong thing to say. She could almost hit herself. She was a suspicious-looking masked girl in a suspicious black cloak with a suspicious black hat. She looked like some kind of assassin - which wasn't too far off from what she did at times, really.

The man's face hardened. "I don't know what you want with her, but she's a good girl, and she has a bright future, with the eminent Kagamine Len interested in her...wait," an odd expression crossed the man's face. "You wouldn't perchance be the girl Len scorned for Miku?"

Luka's eyes widened. "Miku is...with Len?"

Luka wasn't completely cut off from the world events of the day. Len Kagamine was a famous magician. People praised his performances as sublime and ingenius. Never before had Luka thought that Miku would have people other than her interested in her, but now Luka was beginning to see her folly. Of course Miku would have people interested in her.

For some reason, however, this news of Miku being with Len upset Luka. She felt a gnawing feeling in her chest and a sort of pressure on her mind. She could already see her memories of Miku becoming tainted with this...'other person'.

"Yes," said the man, a frown on his face. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Luka was too dazed, so she let him go. For Luka, Miku was an untainted memory. Luka did not know this 'Len' person, but he was encroaching upon something that Luka considered her territory...without even knowing it. Already, she could see Miku disappearing before her eyes. She could envision Miku's future already as some sort of trophy wife or an accessory, looking good draped on Len's arm or somesuch. Not that Luka knew what Len acted like or looked like - she was making assumptions.

But Luka knew one thing, and that was that she had to find Miku, and that, unwittingly, Len had made a very dangerous enemy. Luka considered what she had heard of Len's prowess in illusions and trickery, and dismissed them as mere parlor tricks. Luka knew magic, but she mixed her magic with her murders, and she recalled her perfectly designed torture chamber of mirrors, her trap that ingeniously utilized electricity on its victims, her clockwork marionette that could play the violin beautifully, and land throwing knives into its victims mid-song.

Luka looked up at the sky and grinned wryly to herself.

"I suppose now I have to procure lodgings in Crypton..."


	4. Chapter 4

Crypton was a very large city.

Luka was surprised in spite of herself — she had spent most of her time in towns and villages, not cities, so Crypton's ridiculous size was a little overwhelming. But Luka mastered her surprise soon enough.

For the purposes of her plan, Luka knew that she would have to live somewhere dark and hidden. Luka chose, eventually, a grand theater that her architectural side appreciated well. Four levels, not including the levels in the basement, beautiful, elegant pillars, an inside that was lavish and golden, a breathtaking stage, and, best of all, a large, labyrinthean, multi-level basement that very few people ventured into, aside from the actors at times, and that's only down to the first level of the basement at most.

Luka coolly moved there in the night and considered herself very lucky for having obtained such excellent lodgings at no price. The people living within the theater never saw her, but sometimes Luka was careless in her movements, and they would hear mysterious footsteps, see shadows with hooked noses that disappeared when they turned to fix their gaze upon it. People began to talk and wonder if the theater was haunted.

Perhaps. Luka considered herself to be monstrous already, so she could add 'ghost' next to 'thief' and 'murderer' on her list of accomplishments. She got to know the basement intimately well, and began to feel, in time, a sort of odd affection for it. She began to regard the basement as her possession, and Luka's possessions were always guarded so as to avoid people from stealing it. Thus, Luka's dark mind conceived of many traps and torture chambers that would catch and kill any foolish human, be they actor or cleaner, who penetrated into Luka's home.

The basement was very dark and there was little light save for the candles mounted on the walls. It resembled a catacomb. Luka's housings extended down for three levels, each of them with labyrinthine layouts. On the floor nearest to the ground floor of the theater, there were traps aplenty. It would not be inaccurate to say that the first floor of her domain was nothing but murderous traps. The second floor was composed of torture chambers and devices. The third floor was simple and had her bed, a piano that came with the lodgings, sheet music, her laboratory, and various other knickknacks strewn about.

Of course, now that she had her lodgings set up, Luka had to find Miku. So Luka could not believe her stroke of good luck when she eavesdropped (as she was wont to do) on the managers of the theater and found that Miku was studying to be an actress and would thus be taken into the theater to stay as she studied. This was beyond coincidence. It had to be fate. Fate was what brought Luka and Miku inexorably together. Len was nothing more than a foolish interloper.

Thus, the day Miku was set to move in, Luka scurried into what was to be Miku's room, memorized the rough layout of it, and realized that she could talk to Miku through the wall, which, after some later investigation, could be easily arranged to open up into the first floor of Luka's basement dominion. Luka left the room and waited behind the wall for what seemed like weeks, even though it was merely hours. She had never felt so excited in her life. Meeting Miku again was something so sweet, it was unimaginable. Luka wanted to hold Miku and cry with happiness. She had to admit to herself that she was obsessed with Miku, but Luka could not help it, nor could she control it, so all she did was surrender willingly to the love she knew she always had for Miku.

So it came to Luka's surprise that, when Miku moved in, it was not with shouts of jubilation — it was with angry sobs.

"Shut up!" Luka heard Miku yell through the walls. "Shut up!"

"But, Miku, I—" a male voice.

"Go away!" There was a sound of a door slamming, and then, the sound of quiet sobbing.

Luka had no idea what was going on, but her heart ached for Miku. She didn't want to see her hurt. She had to think of some way to comfort her. Luka realized that now was not a good time to go and meet Miku directly (somehow Luka doubted that Miku would react well to a masked person suddenly appearing in her room, especially after that) so she did the next best thing.

She sang, quietly and softly, a hymn she overheard from churches. It seemed to be a prayer for peace and love, which was good enough. Luka was far from being religious — she thought that if there were higher powers, she was forsaken and damned already due to her face and her deeds, so there was no point in believing in higher powers — but she did enjoy looking at churches and marveling quietly at the beautiful architecture of most of them.

Miku's sobs slowly abated, and Luka heard her walk around the room, searching for the source of the voice. "...who are you?"

Luka thought of how to answer that as she sang. When she finished, she let out a small sigh. She couldn't let Miku know who she was, not yet. Not in this mood. Not here...not now. "I am your friend."

There was a bit of an intake of breath, and Luka thought that maybe Miku recognized her voice, but what Miku said was quite different. "My...friend? Are you an angel?"

Luka covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. An angel! Her, an angel? She was nothing more than a devil, a demon. For Miku to believe her to be an angel was too much. Was her voice really that powerful for someone to actually believe that she was an angel?

But...Luka had always longed to be loved and to be seen as good. Perhaps, she could be Miku's angel, just for her. It would be much better than being her demon, at any rate. Luka smiled a gentle smile that Miku cannot see. "If you'd like."

Luka heard the noise of Miku softly settling down on the floor. "I would."

-o-o-o-

The days passed like so. Luka would spend her time with Miku, who talked freely of her troubles to her so-called 'angel'. She confessed that her mother died when she was nine, and that her father pushed her into acting.

"What I really want to do is sing," said Miku, "but no one thinks it's very good. There's this one girl here who says that my singing sounds like a drowned rat, and she's the best singer in the theater..." There was a pause. "Aside from you, of course," Miku added, "but you're an angel, so it's not very fair."

Whenever Miku referred to Luka as such, Luka wanted to give up the whole masquerade and reveal herself as human, as the freak she really was, not the angel Miku believed her to be, but Miku always sounded so happy and sincere, and, resigned, Luka continued the whole charade.

She was always there by Miku's room, it seemed, and when Miku bought a mirror and placed it against the wall, Luka knew that she had her window. She was an expert with mirrors. One day, when Miku was out rehearsing, Luka snuck into her room again, replaced the mirror with one-way see through glass with a reflectable end. That way, Luka could see Miku, but Miku would not see her, thus keeping Luka's face and identity hidden (naturally, Luka would give Miku privacy as well — she wasn't so depraved as to stare at Miku when she was changing or somesuch).

What she saw took her breath away. Miku had grown beautiful. Whereas Luka stayed ugly and grotesque, Miku had developed into a stunning girl. She was skinny, delicate, and elegant in her movements. She wore her hair, teal just as Luka remembered, down instead of in twin tails most of the time, but sometimes she would still wear it up.

In accordance with Miku's desire to sing, Luka began to tutor Miku in singing, but only after getting Miku to muster up the courage to sing in the first place.

"I can't sing!" Miku protested. "I'm terrible. You're so good at it, I just feel embarrassed." She looked so adorably bashful then that Luka was almost tempted to swing the mirror open and hug her, but Luka held back.

"If you don't sing, you'll never get better," said Luka. "You want to be a good singer, right?"

Miku sighed. "I don't sound good. My voice isn't good."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Luka put her hands against the glass, longing to touch and comfort Miku, but she couldn't. "You have a beautiful voice!" She really did, too, a nice soft voice that was music to Luka's ears.

"You're just saying that," Miku hugged herself and frowned.

"Trust me," said Luka. "If people say you sound like a drowned rat, then they're probably jealous of you. Please sing, for me."

Miku was clearly hesitant, but she eventually mustered up the courage and sang the same hymn that Luka sang to her the day Miku moved in. Luka didn't know if it was a conscious choice or coincidence, but she concentrated on Miku's voice. It was rough and unrefined, but it was far from sounding like a drowned rat, and Luka could detect that Miku had some hidden talent in her. With training, she would truly have an excellent voice. Luka began to try to think of ways to train Miku accordingly.

Luka was so lost in her thoughts that she did not say anything after Miku finished the song, and only Miku's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Um...you probably think it's really bad, huh?" Miku smiled in a self-deprecating way. "I'm sorry. I hope your ears aren't bleeding too horribly."

"No, no," Luka said, hastily. "You have talent, Miku. I'll tutor you."

"R-really?" Miku stared straight at Luka, even though Luka knew Miku could not see her through the mirror. "You mean it? You'll really tutor me?"

"Yes," said Luka.

A smile spread on Miku's face, and she beamed. "Thank you! I don't know how to repay you, but I—"

"You don't need to repay me," said Luka. "I have no use for monetary things now."

"But, something...I can do something for you...if only I know what," Miku frowned.

"Well," Luka smiled. "We can discuss how to repay me later. Let's focus on the tutoring, first."

Luka was a strict tutor, and many times, Miku was left frustrated, but Luka knew that eventually, with more and more time, Luka could bring out Miku's talent, so she worked hard, and thus Miku worked hard in turn. Her singing improved more and more with each day, and Luka noted, with some happiness, that Miku now seemed somewhat more...dependent on her. She would come into her room with that seeking glow in her eyes, and she'd walk over to the mirror, and sit down, and tentatively begin the conversation, and Luka would, of course, always reply.

To Luka's surprise, Miku did not mention Len at all. Perhaps they had a falling out. Perhaps she was yelling at Len that first day. Whatever it was, Luka was glad.

Then, the day came.

"You're ready to perform," said Luka.

Miku's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really," said Luka.

Miku seemed nervous, and she fidgeted with the fabric of her dress. "I. I don't know. I'm not sure." She seemed so childish in her timidity. "I...I've never sung before. And I'm an actress. I don't sing. I...I act."

"Miku," Luka's voice was gentle and she infused it with all of the persuasive power she had. "Trust me." Luka had found that Miku would be easily intoxicated by her voice, and today was no exception. Miku nodded obediently, although there was still nervousness in her expression and posture.

"I trust you," she said, softly. "What do I do? Who do I tell about this?"

"You don't need to tell anyone," Luka sat back. "I will do the work, Miku. You don't need to worry about anything."

-o-o-o-

She had to get the lead singer out of the way. Luka was agile and stealthy, and by now she knew the theater as well as the back of her hand. The star singer was a woman nicknamed Sweet Ann, someone who had a good voice, but Miku's was better. There was to be a musical performance a few days later, so Luka had to act quick, and also, position Miku as the prime candidate for Sweet Ann's replacement.

That last part was easy enough; by this time, Luka had cultivated quite a position for herself, as she was known as the ghost of the theater, and the managers were fearful of her, and Luka knew that it was she who held the true power of the theater. Convincing the managers would be a simple feat. No, the difficult part was to get Sweet Ann out of the way.

The best way to do this, Luka decided, was the administration of a simple potion that would induce sickness, but would not kill Sweet Ann. Luka did not want to scare Miku unnecessarily, after all. After gathering the requisite plants, Luka returned to the theater, and began working on her potion, a simple process.

When it was finished, all Luka had to do was to put the potion into Sweet Ann's food somehow. That was arranged easily enough. Sweet Ann, as a somewhat spoiled prima donna, had her own table, so all Luka had to do was sneak a few drops of the potion into the food before Sweet Ann got to the table. Since no one really saw much need to guard tables in dining rooms, all Luka had to do was hide herself in shadow and tap a few drops of the liquid into the food. She had done it very quickly, without being seen — years of thievery and poisoning had taught her that much.

And it was done. Luka had a brief meeting with the managers later. She spoke from a hollow column and threw her voice so that it would seem like it came from the chair in the main meeting room, and the managers, cowed by what they thought to be a ghostly demon from hell, agreed quickly to whatever she asked.

Luka, satisfied, looked forward to an excellent show later on.

-o-o-o-

Miku was obviously nervous when she came up on stage, and for a moment, Luka feared that she would lose her nerve. Luka was sitting in the private box that she had threatened the managers into giving her, and she watched anxiously. The crowd was silent and inhospitable today. Luka could tell that they wanted Sweet Ann, not some unknown girl. Miku apparently picked up on the crowd's mood, for she looked sad and forlorn, but she seemed to gather strength within herself. The lights dimmed, Miku began to sing, and Luka closed her eyes.

-o-o-o-

It was perfect. A standing ovation, and a baffled Miku stared as people threw flowers at her feet.

Luka herself was feeling quite ecstatic. A feeling of pure happiness spread within her. She was proud, of herself and of Miku. She watched with fondness as Miku was helped off the stage — the poor girl couldn't even walk, so unused to praise was she. Luka could see Miku glance around, as if trying to look for her angelic tutor, but Luka couldn't show herself. Not now. Not here, in the crowded auditorium. Luka smiled and left her box.

At Miku's room, Luka waited for her return, but when long minutes passed without any sign of the girl, Luka began to feel a little perturbed, a perturbed that quickly grew into full-fledged worry. Perhaps the managers wished to talk to Miku? Horror invaded Luka's body, replacing her earlier happiness. Would the managers ruin the whole 'angel' facade by telling Miku of the ghost of the theater? No...Luka couldn't let that happen. She rushed out of the basement and hid herself in the columns of the theater, looking for Miku.

She found her, but Miku was not with the managers. She was with a boy with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and blue eyes.

"You did a great job today, Miku," said the boy enthusiastically. "I had no idea you could sing like that."

Miku looked a bit taken aback, and blushed prettily. "Th-thank you, Len."

So this was Len! Luka stared at him, committing his features to memory. A deep frown appeared on her face. This was her competition.

Len scratched the back of his head. "Look, I know I...we haven't parted on the best of terms before, but I want to say that I'm sorry for what I said."

Miku was apparently on a happy high from her success, for she nodded and grinned. "It's okay. I forgive you. It's my fault too."

"Oh," Len smiled. "That's good. Then, if you're not too busy, how about I take you to a celebratory dinner? There's an excellent restaurant down the way."

Luka gaped. A celebratory dinner at a restaurant...that was something that Luka, ugly and deformed as she was, could never give Miku. No...if Miku were to be with Luka, Luka knew that she would have to stay in the basement with her, due to Luka's deformed face. Luka felt depressed, saddened, even angry. It was unfair. Her life was unfair. Why couldn't she have been born normal? Undeformed? Why was it that she had to be born with this face and cast down and disregarded?

Miku, to Luka's surprise, hesitated. "I...I'm sorry. I have a previous engagement."

"What?" Len blinked. "You have a prior engagement?"

With who? This was a surprising development. Luka pressed her face closer to the column so as to hear better.

"Yes," Miku said, and she looked down. "I'm...I'm sorry, Len. I can't cancel..."

Len frowned.

"Very well," he said, somewhat stiffly. "I suppose I should have called upon you in advance, then. Perhaps, maybe next time?" His voice was hopeful now.

"Maybe," said Miku.

Len nodded, raised his hand, and after a brief (and somewhat awkward) exchange of farewells, walked off without looking back. Miku quickly turned and headed down the hall, the other way. Luka followed after her through the walls. Miku took a turn here, a turn there...and then she went into her room.

Luka stared. She was meeting with someone in her room? No. No! Luka panicked and ran back down to the basement, as fast as she could. She nimbly avoided her own traps and took a sharp turn to the one way mirror glass. By the time she reached it, she was panting heavily. She looked through the glass, almost dreading what she would see.

She saw, to her surprise, Miku kneeling before the mirror, looking worried. "A-are you there?" Miku said, timidly.

The relief washing over Luka was like a wave. However, Luka felt some odd need to keep Miku hanging, so she did not reply. Miku's shoulders dropped, and she looked down.

"I...I'm sorry," said Miku, softly. "I guess I didn't do a very good job...are you mad at me? I'm sorry. I'll practice more. I promise. Please say something...anything! Are...are you there?"

Luka noticed, with some alarm, that Miku was beginning to cry, and she feared that perhaps her little joke went on for too long.

"I'm here, I'm here," said Luka soothingly and gently. "You did excellently, Miku. I am very proud of you."

Miku sniffled and looked up. She seemed so vulnerable. "R-really?"

"Yes," Luka said. "I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier. I was taken aback by how beautiful your singing was. You were superb."

Miku blushed heavily, and Luka could tell that it was, in the end, her praise that Miku desired the most. "Really?"

"Really," said Luka, and she leaned back against the wall and stared at Miku, who was smiling and blushing. That smile was infectious, and Luka started to smile herself, and she carried that smile with her all the way to her own bed, where Luka clutched onto her blankets and allowed herself this happiness tonight.

-o-o-o-

That happiness was short-lived. Len was irritatingly persistent. He would leave flowers in Miku's dressing room. More than once, he would visit Miku backstage, talking to her, talking about an old childhood friendship they had, occasionally bringing up his sister Rin and how much fun they all had together, hinting that Miku should drop by their estate sometime to catch up, and it made Luka sick with jealousy and rage — even more so when, in unguarded moments, Miku smiled shyly at him.

Luka had hoped that he would be a silly, foppish boy chasing after every pretty skirt that came his way, but no - he was unquestioningly and hatefully devoted to Miku. Luka could see, bit by bit, Miku giving up more and more of herself to Len, and that made Luka frightened. She saw a future where Miku would not need her anymore. Where Miku would no longer come to her room to Luka, no, a future where Miku would, instead, come to her room with Len. She would not need Luka anymore...Luka would be resigned to history, forgotten and hated, known only as the ghost of the theater, a murderer, a thief, and above all, a deformed grotesque.

In her jealousy, Luka lashed out to Miku.

"You've been with that boy again!" Luka yelled after a particularly bad night.

Miku shrank. "I-I'm sorry! I try to treat him coldly...I try, but...but he won't leave me alone...I can't avoid him..."

If he wouldn't leave her alone...Luka frowned. Perhaps she had to take out Len herself. She had no aversion to killing obstacles like him. She didn't want to hurt Miku, no...but hurting Len, Luka had no such aversion to.

"Oh?" Luka's voice was icy. "So, Len Kagamine is unavoidable now? My, such an obstacle he must be! I suppose he shapeshifts into a boulder that prevents you from going past him now, does he? He is an eminent magician, after all, I'm sure he could do that."

Miku trembled and she looked cornered, trapped. "I...he was waiting for me backstage, I didn't ask for him to meet me—"

"You deliberately encourage him!" Luka would pound on the mirror if she could.

"No!" Miku seemed to have all of the strength taken out of her. "I...I don't, I swear! Please, please don't get angry at me, I...I wouldn't be able to bear it if you did, I'm...I'm so sorry, so sorry, please don't get angry at me, please..."

Luka's anger, however, was still there, and she felt some deep need to punish Miku for what she had done in continuing to talk to that boy. To Luka, each of Miku's words read as lies. She turned away from the mirror.

"No," said Luka. "The time for anger has passed. I have made my decision. Until you purge this...failing from your soul, you will not hear my voice again. We angels do not grace the wicked with our presence."

Luka did not leave, however; she merely looked back to see Miku's reaction. Miku fell to her knees, her expression bewildered, fearful.

"No...no!" Miku stammered. "He means nothing to me! I swear! He doesn't mean anything! I...it's true that we...that we used to be together, but we fought, and...and...he doesn't mean anything to me anymore! Please don't leave me! Please!"

Luka stayed silent. Miku continued her apologies, over and over, her delicate frame shaking. Luka stared down at her gloved hands, thinking. She was beginning to realize just how far of a gap existed between her and Miku. While Luka spent most of her life running and skulking, living in hate and fear, her hands seemingly constantly bloodstained, Miku lived an ordinary life, like any other girl should. She didn't grow up to become twisted, like Luka did.

Luka's anger dissipated, leaving nothing but an empty hollow in her chest. "...Miku."

Miku immediately gave a start and looked up hopefully.

"Calm down," said Luka, softly. Miku nodded and sniffed and put her hand over the mirror, and Luka slowly placed her hand over Miku's — not that either of them could feel anything through the cold glass of the mirror. Before Luka could stop it, she began to speak. "I will give you one chance."

"Anything," Miku said, her voice little more than a whisper. "A...anything, just as long as you don't leave me."

Luka's mind stood back, horrified, as her mouth spoke words that sounded cold and manipulative even to her own ears. "Tell me that you will never see Len again. Treat him coldly and reject his advances and his flowers." Luka stared at her own trembling hand.

Miku bowed her head, suddenly appearing very weak and fragile, and nodded.

Luka took her leave, and it was only when she reached her bed that the full extent of what she did crashed down on her.

"O-oh god," Luka whispered to herself. "I'm so sorry."

She had taken advantage of Miku — taken advantage of the girl's need and trust in her, twisted it into something cruel and dependent like this. Their relationship had been good and pure, before. But now...but now...Luka had perverted it into some cruel, controlling relationship. She didn't mean for it to happen. She just wanted Miku to be happy, but Luka was too jealous, and she loved Miku too much, and she was too angry at Len to think rationally. She was no angel, she knew that now. No, she was truly a freak and a monster. She really had a rotten heart. If Luka could go down on her knees and apologize to Miku, over and over, she could, but fear held her back, fear that Miku would leave her...and that would be too much for Luka to bear. She knew that what she did was wicked and unfair, but Luka couldn't stop — she needed Miku too much. She couldn't let Len take her from her. Not after Luka spent years searching and searching for Miku.

So Luka apologized to Miku in her mind instead, as heavy remorse took over her heart. With a sinking feeling, Luka realized that things would never be the same between the two of them again.


	5. Chapter 5

As an apology to Miku, Luka arranged for her to take on the star role in the next musical, replacing Sweet Ann.

"I don't know if I can do it!" Miku's voice echoed in her room as she paced back and forth, the script in her hand.

"You can do it," Luka said. "You have talent, Miku. I don't want to see it go to waste."

Miku wiped at her face. "If...if you say so..." She quieted and began to read from the script. Luka had the script at the ready too.

"Where is the fairy market?" Miku read.

"Asked the little boy Barkett," Luka said. She smiled to herself. She couldn't help but to be reminded of when they were eight, and Miku was teaching Luka how to read.

They practiced over and over, until Miku was too exhausted to continue, and it was only then that Luka allowed her rest.

"Thank you," said Miku, her voice heavy with sleepiness. She stumbled over to her bed, and was asleep within minutes. Luka sighed and returned to her own bed.

-o-o-o-

The performance was smashing. Miku was rapidly being hailed as one of the fastest rising stars of the entertainment industry. In regards to her career, she had nothing to worry about.

But Miku was suspicious. It was twice now that Sweet Ann was replaced due to some strange malady.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" she asked Luka after her performance.

Luka laughed; the question was so bluntly asked and obvious she couldn't help it. Miku blinked, eyes widening in faint surprised. Realization slowly made its way across her face. Luka kept laughing and laughing, until she couldn't laugh anymore.

"Of course," she said. "I'm sorry. I suppose I shouldn't be talking of such things right after your success...you did a great job today, Miku." Luka had, in an unguarded moment, dropped the throwing of her voice - her voice now emanated from the mirror. Miku's eyes widened.

"Is...is that so?" Miku said. Thankfully, Luka's praise still had an effect on her, for she smiled and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Thank you. I suppose all that practice paid off."

"Of course," said Luka. "Practice makes perfect. You can't get good if you just sit there and never practice, you know."

Miku chuckled. "Yes, I guess that's true. I've always been pretty lazy when it comes to practicing. I guess I just needed you to whip me into shape."

Odd, they were talking like old friends, instead of the tutor-pupil way they talked before. Not that Luka minded — she embraced it, actually. It felt comfortable and right. Luka and Miku talked for a long time, and Miku had taken to sitting close to the mirror, her fingers caressing it, as if she was seeking Luka's skin.

Then, it happened. Miku was staring at the mirror, an odd, new longing expression in her face, one that Luka did not dare to put a name to.

"Can I please...see your face?" Miku asked, in little more than a whisper.

Immediately, Luka recoiled. She was confused. Did she, or didn't she? If Miku knew that Luka wasn't an angel, was only Luka, the little freak girl, what would she say? What would she do? Would she leave her? Would Luka lose Miku? No...no! At least this was safe. At least this way, Luka could talk to Miku. If she showed herself, maybe, everything would be lost...

"No!" Luka threw her voice again so that it once again had that godlike, awesome tone. Miku's eyes widened and she drew her hand away from the mirror, slightly. "Isn't it enough that you hear my voice?"

With that, Luka left. She wanted to show herself, but she was afraid. Wryly, Luka realized that she had once been excited to show Miku her face, to reestablish their friendship, but now, with all this new 'Angel' business...things weren't so simple anymore. Luka stumbled to her bed and flopped down on it, hoping that things would magically sort themselves out during her sleep, even though she knew that that was impossible.

-o-o-o-

Luka avoided Miku. It had become dangerous to talk to her. The sight of her made Luka want to succumb to her, made Luka want to show herself for who she really was.

But so cowardly and frightened was she of rejection that Luka could not, would not show herself to Miku. Luka had taken to prowling the theater more and more often. She listened to the managers and to the other actors and actresses, and from them she learned secondhand Miku's rapid rise to stardom.

"It's as if she was blessed by an angel," exclaimed a foolish girl to her equally foolish friends. Luka couldn't stop a sad little smile from spreading on her face. Blessed by an angel? Hardly - it's more like Miku consorted with demons than with angels. Not that Miku knew that, and Luka was determined to keep it that way. She walked around the theater, always hidden in the dark, on the rafters, in the hollow columns.

Luka would have been more or less content to keep it this way, if it had not been for the incident. She had been lurking in the theater when she saw two unmistakable shadows - Miku and Len. At once, the old surge of jealousy appeared in Luka's heart again, and she listened, intently, to their conversation.

"Len..." Miku said, softly.

"Yes, Miku?" Len asked. He was gently holding Miku in his arms. They looked like lovers. Luka gritted her teeth and forced herself to continue listening. "What's wrong? You haven't been acting like yourself lately."

Miku seemed to be nervous, and she gathered her strength. "I...do you remember when we were children that we talked of fairies and angels and demons?"

"Yes," said Len, his voice confused. "What of them?"

"I met an angel," said Miku, "but I think...I think I might've made her angry. She wouldn't talk to me anymore. I'd ask her to, every day, but she never comes back."

"What angel?" Len asked.

Miku took a deep breath. "Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't," said Len solemnly. "I promise."

"From the day I've moved in, there's been an angel talking to me in my room," Miku said, quickly, her voice agitated. "I can't see her or anything, but she's been teaching me how to sing, how to act, and she's just there for me, all the time, but now she isn't!"

Luka saw Len's arms stiffen, a little, and he drew back from Miku and fixed her with an odd gaze.

"Have you been having headaches?" he asked.

Luka could almost laugh. Here Len was, playing at being a doctor. Apparently he thought Miku was crazy. Good. Hopefully, that would be enough to drive him away. Len made Miku sit down on a nearby chair, and he kept asking her questions that she would reply to, and after a while, he sat there silently for a while, considering everything.

"Perhaps," Len said, carefully, "you ought to see a specialist..."

Miku's eyes widened. "What? You think I'm crazy?"

"Don't go putting words in my mouth," Len said, holding up his hands, "but perhaps you should take a bit of a rest. You've been working very hard lately."

"I'm working hard because I want to impress her," said Miku softly. "I thought that maybe if I worked hard enough and sang well enough, she'd see me again."

At that, Luka's heart skipped a beat, and at once she began to feel guilty.

Len cleared his throat. "I am...worried about you, Miku. Ever since you've gone to the theater, you haven't been the same. You've been treating me coldly, even though I know you don't want to. I really am very worried about you, Miku."

Miku silently sat there, and Len looked ill at ease. He got up and picked up his hat from the hatstand.

"I have my carriage waiting outside," said Len. "Perhaps, if you want to go out with me, we could...?"

This boy was still interested in Miku? Luka frowned. How irritating. Len was caring, handsome, obviously not in need of any money, intelligent...and Luka was ugly, freakish, rotten. It wasn't fair. It wasn't a fair fight at all. Len could see Miku whenever he pleased, but Luka was only restricted to seeing Miku in her room through a mirror. This was no way to have a relationship with someone...especially since Luka was so afraid of letting Miku see her.

Miku shook her head. "No...I'll walk."

Len nodded, looking disappointed. "I see...well, good-bye, Miku."

"Good-bye," said Miku, and Len left. Miku continued to stand there for a few moments, her face looking so heart-wrenchingly sad...and all because of Luka. Although a small part of Luka was happy that Miku appeared to care for her so much, Luka was, mostly, feeling guilty. Things cannot go on like this anymore, Luka saw that now. If Luka did not act in time, she may well lose Miku to Len, and she would never see her again. Like it or not, Luka had to step up.

So, she returned to her place behind the mirror glass. Miku arrived a few minutes later and glanced at the mirror, hopelessly.

"Maybe I really am crazy," she whispered as she drew her gaze back down to the floor.

The time to act was now. Luka tried to calm her nerves. "...Miku."

At once, Miku looked up, her eyes filled with wild hope. She dropped the scripts she had been carrying, and ran over to the mirror, placing her hands against it. "A-angel!"

"Do you really want to see me?" Luka asked.

Miku nodded, the firm conviction in her eyes unmistakable. "Yes. I do."

Luka sighed and swung the mirror open. She was hidden in the shadows, so all Miku could see was Luka's black-gloved hand reaching out from impenetrable darkness. "Take my hand."

Miku didn't even hesitate a moment, and she grabbed onto Luka's hand. Luka suddenly felt weak in the knees - it was the first time she had touched Miku in so, so, so long...Luka felt the warmth and softness of her skin through her glove, and then she pulled her into her lair, closing the mirror glass.

However, Luka was still, still not quite ready to show Miku herself yet. She merely, after holding Miku in an embrace, sang instead, quietly, virtually hypnotizing Miku with her voice, surrounding Miku in the dulcet sounds of her singing until Miku closed her eyes and fell asleep. Luka picked up Miku, bridal-style, and stared down at her face, so vulnerable and innocent and beautiful in sleep. She felt light and fragile in Luka's arms, and Luka carried her down the basement, to the third floor. When her arms began to ache and she was certain that she couldn't hold Miku for much longer, Luka headed to the second bedroom that she had prepared beforehand, and ever so gently, laid Miku down on it, placing a blanket on top of her.

Then, Luka left the room. She had her dream - she had held Miku and taken her down to the basement, but now what? The time when Miku would awaken and see her was so close, perilously so. Luka paced back and forth, her movements agitated - she knew she was disturbing her pet cat Juent (she had obtained him shortly after tutoring Miku - he was a crippled cat and Luka had been taking care of him), but she couldn't really attend to him now. There was no way to prepare, no way to look better - unlike most other girls, she could not apply makeup or powder her face to make herself look more appealing. She was not beautiful, she was not angelic, any moment, Miku would wake up and walk in, hoping to see an angel, but getting only the little freak girl from her past instead. Would Miku still even remember Luka? Oh, Luka wished she did, but at the same time, she wished that she didn't. She wanted Miku, she wanted nothing but Miku, but Miku was an impossible dream, or was she? Luka didn't know if she should hope, if she should despair - she didn't know how Miku would react at all. Luka found herself wildly heading back to the room Miku was in, her mind believing that perhaps she could just carry her back up to her room and pretend that it never happened, but she couldn't, she couldn't do that.

Luka heard the sounds of Miku getting up from the bed, and panic seized her heart. She had to do something - she had to look busy, buy herself a little bit more time...Luka looked around wildly, and her gaze landed on the piano. She sat down on the stool and began to play a song, making it up as she went along, fear and panic her muse as her fingers agitatedly danced on the black and white keys...no, no, no, it was wrong, not something agitated and panicked like this when Miku was waking up - that would only scare her more! Luka played something calmer instead, breathing in deeply in an attempt to calm herself. Her fingers slowed. Luka could hear Miku curiously making her way to the piano, and Luka looked down at the keys, her pink hair hanging down and covering her face. She tried to lose herself in the music. Luka felt Miku's fingers run through her hair, and the feeling was so pleasant, Luka almost lost her mind right there, but then she felt Miku untie her mask. It began to slip and fall from her face.

With a frightened yelp, Luka brushed away Miku's hands and got up, grabbing blindly for her mask as she tried to cover her face, but it was too late. Miku had seen. Luka put her mask back on, and stared at Miku, her heart beating fast and quick, trying to ascertain her feelings.

Miku looked stricken. "Your...face..."

"Yes," said Luka, softly. "My face. Do you...do you remember?"

Miku closed her eyes. "I...I don't know. I feel like I've seen you before, but I don't-"

"What?" Luka cut her off, her eye widening. "You don't...you don't know me?" After Luka had spent so much time searching for Miku, to have Miku not recognize her was too much. For Luka, her relationship with Miku had been something special, but apparently for Miku, it was just another friendship that she had forgotten.

And what about that promise? Bitterly, Luka recalled that Miku had promised to see her again...but Miku had forgotten it. If Luka had not taken things into her own hands...Meiko and Kaito were right. A promise made by a rash eight year old was no promise at all. Luka truly had been living in a dream world all this time. Anguished, Luka raised her voice. "You forgot your promise to me!"

Miku took a step back. "P-promise?" she stammered. "I...of...of course I remember the promise..."

"Liar!" Luka lost control of herself right there, and she tore off her mask again, and watched as an expression of revulsion made its way across Miku's face. "Look at me!"

Miku flinched and closed her eyes and took another step back. Luka could tell that she was desperately rooting through her memories. "I...I..."

Luka would say more, was about to reveal her name, when suddenly a great pain struck her like lightning, starting in her chest and spreading to the rest of her body. Luka quickly recognized it as a seizure, but she had never, ever gotten one before...was she really that upset? The world narrowed, and Luka took a step backward as she tried to fight back the pain, but that only made it worse. Luka fell to her knees, gasping for air, and tried to push back the pain again. She failed. All the commotion seemed to have awakened Juent, for he landed next to Luka, yowling at Miku, looking poised to spring, and Luka hurriedly took him into her cramped arms to calm him, but that too made her world explode in pain.

Luka slowly became aware of Miku clutching onto her sleeve, sobbing.

"What do I do?" she asked through her sobs. Luka listened to her own ragged breathing for a moment, feeling the weight of the cat in her hands.

"Give me back my mask," she croaked, her voice wispy and frail after her dreams became dashed.

Miku, still crying, pushed Luka's mask over to her, and with shaking, trembling hands, Luka put it back on. She got up to her feet, with all the strength she had. Juent leapt to the floor. Miku also stood up and looked at Luka, her face confused and bewildered.

"And...and?" she asked.

Luka took a breath and staggered to the threadbare couch that came with the basement. "Just...leave me alone..."

And then, darkness.

-o-o-o-

Luka awoke to see a miserable-looking Miku staring blankly at Luka's bed. She looked like a girl whose dreams turned to nightmares, and Luka began to, once again, feel guilty. She turned her head away from Miku and closed her eyes. She knew that Miku could not escape the basement without her - it was far too dangerous and dark. Luka could not die - she had to protect Miku, she had to bring Miku up to the surface.

But she was still too weak from her seizure. Luka sighed and felt the familiar onset of depression.

"Miku," Luka's voice was gentle.

Miku very slowly turned to Luka, but she did not seem to see her.

"I want to go home," she whimpered. "I want to see my dad." She sounded like a frightened child. "Please take me home."

Luka sighed. "Yes...I will. But I must recover first. Miku, could you please make me some tea...?"

"Tea?" Miku echoed, looking confused. "What...what kind?"

Luka put her head back and closed her eyes. "Any kind. It's very simple...just light the kettle...it's there," Luka raised her hand weakly and pointed. "Next to my bed..."

Miku stared at it, glassily. "Your bed...it's a coffin."

Luka smiled wryly. Indeed it was. A full bed was far too troublesome to carry down to the basement. "No, no...it's not a coffin...it's just my bed."

"But...it's a coffin," said Miku.

"Listen to me, Miku..." Luka felt very weak, and talking was painful, but she talked anyways. "You have nothing to be afraid of...nothing will hurt you here. Do not judge by appearances...it is my bed, and nothing more..."

"O-okay," Miku nodded, but she still looked frightened, and she went off to make the tea. Luka merely sat back and tried to recover. She never should have brought Miku down here...she knew that now. Miku belonged in the world of lights and fame, not in the lair of a monster. It was wrong. Luka wanted to apologize for loving her, but she could not, and she slowly went back to sleep.

-o-o-o-

It had been a while now. Miku had been taking care of Luka, down here in the basement. Luka had not yet told her her name - she was not yet ready for what it might bring. But then again, maybe Miku had truly forgotten her, and even her name would not rouse her memory. Luka did not know.

Luka's life had somehow managed to settle into a routine by now. Since Miku could not yet leave, she slept in the second bedroom, safely away from the monster on the couch, and prepared things for Luka to eat. She was not a very good cook, but Luka ate all of the things Miku made for her - she pretended that they were married and that Miku was cooking for her, and Luka willingly allowed her love for Miku to blind her in this instance. Of course, Luka knew by now that she should not pretend or presume when it came to Miku. Not after she forgot her and her promise. That still pained Luka each time she thought of it, although she supposed that it was too much to ask for someone as indisputably wonderful as Miku to make space in her memories for a monstrosity.

"When you talked to me from the mirror," Miku began hesitantly. "Your voice seemed like it came from high above...how did you do that?"

"Have you ever heard of ventriloquism?" Luka asked. "It's a skill I picked up when I was working with...people." She learned it from the assassin's guild as part of an essential part of misdirection. To demonstrate, she threw her voice around, and watched Miku's face slacken with surprise.

"Wow!" Miku said, looking like a child who had just seen a wonderful magic trick. "That's amazing!"

Luka smiled. "Thank you." There was a brief, comfortable silence, the very first since Luka's seizure, and recalled Miku's earlier expression of wonder. "Um...would you like to see a magic trick?"

Miku stiffened, and at once Luka remembered Len, the magician. Undoubtedly, he had asked her that very same question many times before. They had been together...it made sense that he would show off his prowess in magic. The brief comfort the two enjoyed together ended with that one question, and Luka was angered with herself.

"I..." Miku began, but Luka cut her off.

"No...nevermind," she said, hastily. "I'm sorry. I should have known...my apologies."

"Don't apologize," said Miku softly. "It's not...I don't care."

Luka felt her heart rip. So she still had feelings for that boy...Luka turned away. It was too late. She had already lost. After a while, Miku spoke up again.

"You said something about a promise," she said. "What did I promise you?"

Luka sighed. "You promised me that you would see me again. And you promised that you wouldn't...you wouldn't..." Luka couldn't stop her tears from falling, but her mask hid them from Miku's sight. "That you wouldn't run away from me when you see my face."

Miku did not say anything for a long time, and for a moment, Luka dared to hope that she remembered her. Instead, she asked one more question. "I see...what's your name?"

"Luka," said Luka, and it was out. She closed her eyes and waited for Miku's reaction.

"Luka..." Miku said it several times, and each time she did was like a pleasant jolt of happiness to Luka's mind, although it wasn't enough to get rid of her misery.

"I was in the freak show," said Luka, wildly, hoping. "I was eight. With Meiko, she had those arms. And Kaito, he…he couldn't eat normally."

And then, finally, there was a jolt of recognition in Miku's eyes. "You...I taught you how to read..."

"Yes!" Luka sat up from the couch for the first time in days. "Yes! Do you remember, Miku? You promised me that you'd see me again. So I escaped and I started looking for you. You gave me hope, you know, you were the only outsider who was nice to me. I wanted to see you again, so badly, I..." Luka stopped talking once she saw the shadow that passed over Miku's face. Luka shrank back, suddenly feeling as though she had said something wrong, given away too much.

"You've spent the last thirteen years looking for me?" Miku asked, in a tone that was not pleasant.

Luka nodded, weakly. "Yes...I...I just..."

Miku did not say anything more. She got up and left the room. Luka suddenly felt afraid that Miku was even more repulsed by her. Luka couldn't blame her - after all, she could imagine what Miku felt. She acted kind to a freak, and that freak in turn spent more than half of her life looking for her, and lied to her in the theater, and took advantage of her, and now said freak had her locked up in a basement. In retrospect, Luka's life really was pathetic.

"I'm sorry, Miku," said Luka weakly to thin air, and she suddenly felt very glad that she did not tell Miku that she loved her.

-o-o-o-

The next day, Miku silently gave Luka her breakfast and left. Luka watched after her sadly - they would always at least exchange greetings. But Luka couldn't blame Miku. After all, Luka was disgusting. She ate her breakfast and got up from the couch - she felt well enough to get up now. She still felt out of sorts, though, so Luka decided to play piano. It always helped her mood in the past.

So she made her way there and began to play a simple, relaxing melody, allowing her fingers to warm up first. The music calmed her and allowed her to forget, and Luka soon became aware of nothing more than the music. Her world here was simple and relaxing and no harm could come to her. She would not think of Miku. She would think only of the music.

So Luka did not notice when Miku walked into the room, listening to what she was playing. She only noticed when Miku walked up right next to her, lightly brushing against her sleeve, snapping Luka out of it. She ended the song there and looked up at Miku questioningly.

"What is it, Miku?" Luka asked.

Miku looked down at the keys. "Um...since I'm stuck here anyways, and since you're playing the piano now, um...can we continue our, uh, voice lessons? If you don't want to, I understand."

Luka noticed the complete absence of an apology in there, but she didn't care. She was too busy being happy. "You...still want me to teach you?"

Miku nodded. "Well, yes."

"Okay!" Luka smiled widely. "Let's start, then! We haven't practiced in a while, after all."

"Yes," Miku allowed a smile to show on her face. "It has been a long time...you haven't taught me since I asked to..." Miku quieted and the mood suddenly became very awkward.

Luka recognized that she had to salvage the situation. "Let's not talk about things like that now," she said hastily. "L-let's focus on the music. Shall we start on scales?"

-o-o-o-

Miku's mood had improved immensely since they continued her voice lessons. She even began talking to Luka again, and she was friendly, and sweet, and everything Luka remembered her being from their past. The two of them had a comfortable existence in Luka's domain, and for that, Luka was thankful. She may not be able to confess to Miku, at least not yet, but being able to talk to her was enough for her now, after being scorned by her earlier.

However, such a peaceful situation couldn't last forever. When Luka was prowling around the theater at night, she found a letter addressed to the ghost of the theater at the top of the basement, and she read it.

It was a letter from the managers, asking for Miku back. It was written pleadingly and extremely politely, to the point where Luka got the impression that the managers were trying very, very hard to not make her angry.

Luka's first instinct was to crumple it up and never speak of it again, but deep inside, she knew that she could not continue living like this. It was too perfect for her. She took a long walk around the theater, trying to clear her mind, and when she returned, she found a terrified Miku. Luka immediately rushed to her and instinctively drew her into a comforting embrace (hoping that she would not be pushed away), and Miku clung on to Luka.

"Where were you?" Miku sounded as though she was on the verge of tears, something that surprised and confused Luka immensely. "I was so scared...I thought you might have died!"

"You were worried about me?" Luka asked, her voice full of hope.

Miku did not say anything, but her arms stiffened. Luka didn't quite know what that meant, a yes or a no, so she sighed and disengaged herself from Miku, and looked at her.

"Miku," said Luka. "I have to take you back up now. There's someone who knows you are here."

Miku's head immediately jerked up and she stared at Luka. "Len? Is it Len?" Her voice was hopeful and his name came out as if by instinct.

Luka found her mood darken the moment Len's name came out of Miku's mouth, but she hid her emotions well from Miku, and she shook her head. "No...it's someone else. I...I am sorry. Do you want to go back?"

Miku looked confused and a shadow passed over her face. "I don't know." She looked unhappy, and Luka suspected that she said that only to prevent Luka from getting angry at her. The thought of that saddened Luka terribly.

"You look so sad..." Luka said, softly. "Is it because you don't want to be here with me?"

Miku looked down. "I don't know if I want to stay or if I want to leave. I don't know what I feel about you yet."

Luka began to feel dread as her suspicions about Miku's feelings for her increased. "Perhaps it is only pity and fear you feel."

"I'm not afraid of you," Miku protested. "I...I promised you that I wouldn't run away from your face. So...so it's not that!"

Luka felt mildly happy by Miku's response, but that happiness soon died. Luka knew that she had to tell Miku everything that happened to her, every experience, before letting Miku make her final decision.

So she did. Luka told Miku of the escape, of Leon (in fact, she still had his rucksack in the basement), of Tonio and the wanderers, of what Tonio tried to do to her, and what she did to Tonio in turn, of her travels and her apprenticeship with the architect, of her membership in the assassin's guild, of her thievery and lies and murders, of how she came to the theater.

When she finished, Miku just sat there, staring at her. There was no fear or shock or anything - merely quiet acceptance. As if she had always suspected. As if Luka had betrayed herself and her nature some way before.

"You could kill Len," said Miku, and it was a statement.

Luka got up and took the small box on the mantelpiece with the keys to the section of the basement that connected to the sewers - the only way to gain access to the third floor without going through the numerous traps on the first. She handed it to Miku, who took it, confused.

"There will be a masquerade tonight," said Luka. "Please attend - the managers will see you there and know you to be safe." Her voice was cold and distant, because she felt cold and distant. "That box holds the keys to the sewers. You have everything you need now to betray me to Kagamine Len."

Miku dropped the box. It landed softly on the rug Luka had brought with her. "What?"

Heedless, Luka continued her explanation. "If you wish to be with me, however, write a note to Kagamine Len. Tell him to meet with you in the rotunda. You will tell him that you cannot see him anymore and that you will continue your career under my tutelage. Then, return to your room and I will be there."

Miku looked stunned. "Wh-what?"

"You have everything you need for this decision, Miku. If I return alone to my house," said Luka, dully, "if you did not choose me...I fully expect to see Len here ready for a duel. And I suspect that he will be well-armed."

-o-o-o-

Luka attended the masquerade in a ruffled dress, a black flowered hat covering the deformed side of her face, and a mask over her eyes. As it was a masquerade, she did not stand out, and in fact, people even accepted her - at least, several men had asked her to dance, something that had never, ever happened to Luka before.

She knew how to dance, though, so she danced and tried to enjoy herself, all the while scanning the crowd for Miku.

She was not there. Luka was puzzled by her absence...after all, she told Miku to attend...perhaps Luka had arrived too late and she was in the rotunda with Len. At once, nervousness beset her heart.

"Could we go to the rotunda to dance instead?" she asked the man she was dancing with - was his name Gakupo?

Gakupo smiled. "Of course."

Luka thanked him and the two of them headed to the rotunda. Miku was not there, although many dancers were. Luka was even more confused than she was before, but she told herself to not worry about it - perhaps Miku had already talked to Len, and perhaps she was already waiting at her room...

Or perhaps she gave the key to Len and left somewhere. Luka did not know. For all she knew, she could come home to an angry man wielding a sword - hardly the best way to end the evening. She knew she had to leave now, but Luka was not very versed in social graces, and she floundered about trying to think of what to say without seeming rude. Gakupo was a nice person and Luka did not want to hurt him unnecessarily. She did not care about him, but she had learned that it was best to not make people angry.

"I feel faint," Luka blurted out. "I-if you'll excuse me...!" She ran out of the rotunda, leaving a baffled Gakupo behind.

"Wait!" he cried. "I don't even know your name! W-would you like me to walk you to your...your home?"

"Thank you," Luka said over the crowd, "but I don't allow many people to see my home."

-o-o-o-

Luka quickly ran down the pathway to the mirror glass. She had returned to see no Len, so she had changed back into her usual attire. She cursed herself for her stupidity.

She should not have told Miku about her dark past. Now Luka would have no way of knowing if Miku would come to her out of genuine love...or out of fear that Luka would hurt Len. Luka cursed herself for destroying the trust she had built up with Miku. Bad enough she looked like this already, she just had to tell Miku about her murderous side and her thievery and her experiences.

At the mirror glass, Luka found that Miku was not yet in her room. The door creaked open, however, and Luka's heart leapt - Miku chose her in the end? But no, it was Len, looking pale and nervous, and he hid himself behind a curtain. What was he doing here? A lover's tryst was out of the question - he looked too frightened for that. Luka did not know what had transpired between the two, but judging from Len's face and expression, it had not been good. All the better for Luka, then.

And then the star of the show walked in quite some time later. Miku walked in with a slumped, defeated posture. She sat at her desk and began to write something before standing back up. Len watched her with a helpless expression on her face. Luka's heart was beating quickly.

"Miku," said Luka, and at once Miku's head jerked up and she smiled. Luka could not hide the satisfaction she felt. _Go ahead and watch, Kagamine Len - does the sound of your voice make her smile so? Is she too powerless to refuse your voice? Can your presence be unseen yet still be received with such happiness? Can you spirit her away from your rival...like _this_? _

At once Miku was in Luka's arms, and Len, baffled, ran towards the mirror, putting his hands on it, completely confused. 'Great' magician he is, he couldn't even figure out the mechanism behind the mirror, and he never would. Luka smirked and she possessively hugged Miku tighter to her until Miku gave an uncomfortable-sounding "unph". With one last glance at the bewildered magician, who had the expression of a man realizing he was dealing with a ghost (perhaps, perhaps), Luka turned and carried Miku down towards the third level.


	6. Chapter 6

After Luka let her go, Miku found herself back in her room, completely befuddled and confused, holding the box with the key in her hands. She had no idea what to do, what to say...Luka was forcing her to make a choice now, but it was too soon. Miku still didn't even know how she felt about Luka yet, really - her feelings were a muddled, swirling mess, and after Luka, Miku's feelings for Len had also been thrown into disarray. It was too confusing...Miku found herself longing for those carefree days of her youth, where she would play on the beach with Len and things seemed so simple and nice.

But now, a girl from her past that Miku had almost forgotten was back and claiming Miku as hers. Miku recalled the timid Luka of the freak show and how determined she was to learn how to read...never had Miku thought that Luka would come back into her life as a singer, a tutor, and least of all, a murderer who was obsessively in love with Miku. Miku wasn't stupid, after all - even though Luka never said that she loved her, Miku could sense it in every glance, in every word, and it frightened her, the depths of Luka's love. Miku felt as though if she wasn't careful enough, all it took was a single step to fall.

And she was perilously close to falling. Miku was instinctively drawn to Luka, every time she heard her voice. It was like a sort of primal pull. Although her face was frightening, Miku found that she was steadily getting used to it. Miku owed so much to Luka, anyhow - Luka was the one who pushed Miku into singing, and she was the one who, in her infinite patience, taught Miku to bring out the full potential of her voice and of her acting. She was amazing.

But dangerous. Miku would never look at Luka the same again, not after she found out what she had done in her past...and the scariest part, the part that made Miku shiver and tingle with some unknown, deep emotion, was that Luka had made it quite clear that she did it all for her mad desire to find Miku again. She had killed for Miku, stole for Miku, lied and cheated and clawed her way to Miku. It was insane. Miku had spent her life without a thought of Luka in her head, but Luka had spent her life looking for Miku.

Miku sighed and walked over to her wardrobe, putting on her outfit for the masquerade. She remembered Luka's instructions to meet Len in the rotunda, and Miku had to follow Luka's instructions. The thought of disobedience was inconceivable. Miku put on a black domino as her mask, wrote the note about the rotunda and gave it to Len, and then she left to enter the masquerade.

It was full of people, and they were pressing in on her as they danced and talked. It was warm, uncomfortably so. Miku realized that she had gotten used to living in the basement, where it was cool, and the only warmth came from the tea that Miku would brew for Luka when Luka was convalescing. Miku picked her way through the crowd and found Len waiting expectantly, wearing a white domino mask. At the sight of him, Miku's heart lifted, and it felt like all of her fears disappeared into the mist.

"Len!" Miku cried as she ran over to him like a child.

"Miku," Len smiled and tipped his head, holding out his hand in a gentlemanly way. Miku took it without hesitation. "I haven't seen you in a while - I take it that you have been resting, then?"

"I have been resting from the theater," Miku said, carefully.

Len's smile grew into a beam. "That's good! Are you feeling better now? I told you that a bit of a rest will do you good!"

Miku hesitated and remembered Luka's words. It was now, or never. Luka, or Len. She had to either present the key to him and tell him everything and see him kill Luka, or lie and live with Luka in the basement forever. Neither sounded like good options. Miku looked down, fidgeted, her mind agitated...and she decided to take a third option.

"Len," she said. "Let's go somewhere a little more private. I need to tell you something."

-o-o-o-

Miku took Len to a private box in the theater, and there, she told him everything about Luka - leaving out the part where Luka gave Miku the key to the sewer entrance.

By the time she had finished, Len had grown almost as pale as his white domino mask, and he brought her to him in a crushing hug. Miku hugged back tightly and tried to lose herself in his hug. It was comforting, and his presence almost made everything go away. It was tempting to just stay like this and run away from the situation, but Luka was there, always there, and Miku could not run away from her - especially not after Luka spent thirteen years looking for her. If Miku ran, Luka would find her.

"I think," said Len, his chin resting on Miku's head, "that this is a matter for the police."

Miku pulled back and stared at him. "No, Len. If you tell this to anyone, I will have to deny everything."

"But, but," Len stammered, "you're in the hands of some...insane maniac who kills people! If I knew where she is, I'd kill her myself!"

"No, Len!" Miku said, and she held onto him tightly, afraid to let go. "She's dangerous. If you challenged her to a duel, you'd die...and I don't want you to die..."

Len's face was twisted in anger. "Miku! I have to! I have to save you from her. Ever since you came in here, you've been acting strange...it's all because of her, isn't it? I'll find my way down to her lair myself and kill her, I swear I will-"

Miku's eyes widened. She knew of Luka's traps and torture chambers. "Don't do it, Len! Don't go there by yourself! She'll kill you before you'll even have a chance to fire your gun or ready your sword...promise me, Len!" Miku tightened her grip on Len and stared into his eyes. "Promise you won't go down there alone!"

"Look, Miku," Len began, but Miku cut him off.

"Promise!" she yelled.

Len stared at her, and all at once he looked like a lost little boy again. "...okay, Miku. No need to shout...I suppose I don't have the right to know where she is," Len sounded bitter.

There was only silence as Miku and Len stared at each other, both unsure of how to make up, until Miku could no longer stand it, and she ran out back to the main area of the masquerade. She looked for Luka, but Luka was not there. For a while, Miku waited for her, but then she irritatedly shook her head. Luka never said that she would be attending the masquerade, after all. Miku checked the clock, and then returned to her room, where she wrote a brief journal entry (a regular habit of hers) and waited for Luka to take her back to the basement.

Miku's heart was heavy, and she felt extremely shamed and angry at herself. Just like her to make no definite stand. Just like her to lead on both Luka and Len. Miku could not help it, however - she was far, far too confused.

"Miku..." Luka's sublime voice called, and at once, Miku looked up, a smile spreading on her face instinctively. The sound of Luka's voice could make all of her troubles go away. Miku willingly turned towards the mirror, and she was back in Luka's arms.

-o-o-o-

Miku was treated extremely well. Day by day, Miku felt herself fall more and more under Luka's influence. Luka was so knowledgeable and she seemed to know everything - Miku was amazed by how many fields her mind covered. Each day, Luka would show or tell her something new, and Miku would listen, or watch, and prepared herself to be amazed. Once, Luka showed her the miniatures that she had painstakingly made and painted herself, the day after that, Luka would move on to rhapsodizing about some aspect of architecture, and after that, Luka would move on to her vast collection of masks. There was one mask that was old and beat up and obviously too small for Luka now, but Luka regarded it with fondness, and she singled it out as the mask that the woodsman she met in the forest gave her.

Miku didn't know if she was falling in love with Luka, but she did know that, far from being a terrified prisoner in a monster's basement, she was healthy and excited. Luka had shown her only a little taste of a whole universe of new things, and Miku reached out for more, like a child greedily wanting more toys and baubles to play with.

At night, or what the clock in Luka's house said was night, Miku would listen to Luka reading her a story. Luka had a voice that was musical and otherworldly and feminine, and Miku would be lulled into a sort of trance simply by listening to the ups and downs of Luka's angelic voice. Miku also felt some pride in herself that she was the one who taught Luka how to read in the first place, although back in the freak show, Luka's voice was not so powerful - indeed, it had sounded completely different, timid and awkward and tripping over words. Now, however, Luka read with confidence and power, and it was very easy to slip into the rhythm of her words and forget the world.

"It is late, Miku," Luka would usually say after every story, a smile on her face. "You should go to bed."

And Miku would always obey without question. Their relationship was completely chaste, even though Miku could sense Luka's feelings for her, hot and passionate and obsessive, so real it was almost tangible, as if Miku could simply reach out and touch it. But Luka held herself back, and she never touched Miku. She only ever did when she brought Miku into the basement - all other times, she seemed to be actively avoiding touching her. Miku did not know if she felt relieved by that, or saddened. She truly did not know her feelings. She was afraid of falling in love with Luka, for it brought things with it that Miku did not know if she was ready for yet - it brought a threat of becoming cut off from the rest of the world forever. At least for now, Miku could flit between the two worlds, never taking a definite stand on the issue, dodging the question that was always there, and hopelessly leading people on both sides on.

-o-o-o-

Luka had a cat. His name, Luka told Miku, was Juant. A crippled little thing when Luka found him, so she simply couldn't resist taking care of him.

Miku understood that. She knew that Luka sought company and love, for she had been treated poorly for all her life due to her face. A cat had no such judgments - a cat did not care a whit for what humans looked like. The girl with a deformed face, a cat with a crippled paw - they were two of a kind. It would follow that they would be close. Miku knew that, she truly did.

One day, Miku awoke to the sound of Luka playing a song on the piano that Miku recognized as a requiem. After Miku bathed and dressed in her opulent private bathroom (it was beyond Miku's understanding how such a luxurious bathroom came to be in the theater's basement. Luka said that she had built it, just for Miku, but the finer points of everything escaped her. Miku suspected that the bed in her room was also built by Luka - after all, Luka slept in a coffin, for it was too much trouble for her to drag a whole bed down...), she left and watched Luka play.

Ever since the seizure, Luka seemed to be having more trouble with her hands - they would shake and tremble at times, or suddenly twitch and spasm. However, Luka played the requiem beautifully right now, and at once Miku knew. There was something in Luka's bearing right now, something hidden but there, that told her that not all was well with Luka's body at the moment. Luka did not act like an invalid, her movements as strong as ever, her voice even stronger, but by this time, Miku could just tell that there was something wrong, and the thought frightened her. She could not imagine a life without Luka anymore.

Luka did not notice Miku's presence - she was always absorbed in her music - but Juant did. He looked up and his luminous cat eyes seemed to narrow into a glare.

Go away, he seemed to say. We don't want you here.

This was not an uncommon occurrence - ever since the first day, when Luka had a seizure, the cat treated Miku with complete hostility. Perhaps the cat blamed Miku for Luka's seizure...that may well be true, considering how upset Luka was by Miku at the time. While Miku would usually be cowed by the silently hostile black cat on the piano and run back into her room, today she stayed there, refusing to be afraid. It was just a cat and she was not subject to the whims of a jealous feline.

The cat leapt down onto the keyboard, shattering the music into discord. Only the cat could have done that.

"My darling!" Luka protested, light-heartedly and joking, and the easy love in her voice for the cat somehow made Miku feel angry, her stomach tightening and her hands clenched into fists.

Juant leapt back up and then leapt back down the moment Luka started playing again, and, giving up, Luka began smothering the cat with her affection, petting him on the head and running her hand down the length of his fur in a swooping caress that made the cat arch his back in obvious pleasure as he purred. Miku watched and her own sudden jealousy puzzled and upset her. Luka touched the cat easily with familiarity, but Miku got nothing. Luka would never touch her, except when carrying her down to the basement, and Miku understood that more as a precaution against Miku setting off any traps than anything else. The cat looked at Miku, his lids half-closed, as if suddenly understanding that Miku never posed a threat to his comfortable lifestyle, regarding Miku with the superiority of unquestioned possession.

Miku fought down her jealousy, her confusing jealousy that she should not even be feeling in the first place, and she stalked back to her room, feeling angry and left out of Luka and Juant's lifestyle that never included her, and seemed like it never would. She knew her jealousy was irrational - it was only a cat, only a cat, and Luka had proved her love for Miku time and time again - but Miku could not help it.

-o-o-o-

"I will be busy working on my composition," said Luka to Miku, one day. "So I would like a week alone. At the end of the week, I will be waiting for you, at the lake."

Miku stared at Luka in disbelief. Luka looked a little ill-at-ease. Did Miku really bother Luka so much? But...but...for all this time, Luka made out Miku to be her world...why was she pushing her away now? Treating Miku like some kind of child who was always in the way...'Run along darling, I'm busy now'. It hurt, and Miku realized with a jolt that she did not want to leave. Not that she would tell Luka that.

"I'm sorry," said Miku, fighting back the hurt and resentment from showing in her voice. "I have always tried to be quiet when you're working so that I wouldn't distract you."

"Oh, it's not that," said Luka. "It's just that your very presence here is distracting."

Miku's eyes widened and Luka's words hit her like a slap. Why? Miku recalled all the times Juant leapt up onto Luka's desk and tracked his pawprints all over her papers, and she always laughed it off and spoiled the despicable little feline. Surely Juant distracted Luka far more than Miku did. Angry, hot tears pricked behind Miku's eyes, threatening to fall, but she didn't cry yet.

"Maybe you'd like me better if I had a tail and a collar," Miku snapped, and she angrily turned her back to Luka, who looked completely confused and bewildered, as if she had no idea what she said wrong. As if it meant nothing to Luka to simply wave Miku away like this so easily. Miku bit her lip hard and threw on her traveling cloak. Pulling the hood on, she grabbed the key that Luka gave her and set off for the sewers. She was far too angry to let Luka take her back up.

-o-o-o-

"One week?" said Len, surprised. "But why?"

"Because she's busy!" said Miku, like a petulant child. The trip through the sewers did little more than get her feet a little dirty - hardly the adventure that Miku expected. She still could not understand Luka's behavior. Miku was the center of her world for thirteen years...and now Luka was pushing her away. Was she bored of her? Was Luka only just now realizing that she could do far better than Miku, who was indecisive and foolish and immature? Was that it? Was Luka tired of wasting her genius, her immeasurable talent, on Miku? Would Luka still be waiting for Miku one week from now...or would Miku simply be stood up, forgotten forever?

"Well..." said Len, carefully, hopefully, "since your crazy maddened professor seemed to have let you free from her whims...perhaps, if you would like to have supper with me tonight...?"

Miku shot an angry, hurt glare at the empty mirror behind her.

"I'd be delighted to."

-o-o-o-

Miku spent the next week with Len, and it was wonderful. She had spent so much time inside, with Luka, that her world had shrunk to the size of a basement, but Len was free to roam the city of Crypton, and the two of them attended operas, ate out at different restaurants every day, laughed at comedies, cried (well, Miku did) at tragedies, argued gaily over menus, talked about the world, Len showed Miku several of his new magic tricks, and to top it off, Len drove Miku down to the park and they spent the day there together.

So on the last day, at night, when Len came into Miku's room after her performance, flowers in hand, he could not hide his disappointment when he saw Miku put on her traveling cloak and brush out her hair again and check her face at the vanity.

"You're seeing her now?" Len asked, his voice heavy. "I had hoped that these last few days would...would help you change your mind."

Miku was suddenly aware that she should not have spent the week with Len. Luka had seemed distant at that time, and Miku felt that she had been disloyal to Luka.

"You know I have to see her, Len," said Miku, simply. "I can't just run away."

"Are you frightened of her?" Len pushed. "You act like you have no mind of your own. She completely controls you! Aren't you scared?"

"I'm not afraid of her," said Miku. "I know Luka would never hurt me."

Len flushed, and he stepped forward and looked into Miku's eyes.

"Are you in love with her?" he asked, simply.

"I don't know," said Miku, and it was the truth, and Len could sense the truth in her speech, and he sighed.

"Is there any chance you'd figure this out sooner?" he asked, bitterness apparent in his voice. "Or should I just leave and quit pestering you? I'm sure your lovely mademoiselle would make a miraculous recovery after that, once I was off the scene!"

Miku had forgotten that she told Len about her suspicions of Luka's health, and she sighed. "Len, if you just knew her, then you wouldn't say cruel and heartless things like that..."

"Cruel and heartless, are they?" Len said. "I think the cruel and heartless one in here is Luka! Tell me about her!"

"I told you everything!" Miku protested.

"Everything except how she looks," said Len.

Miku sighed and closed her eyes. "She looks...like a corpse, where only half of her had begun to rot."

Len said nothing for the longest time, before he sat back in a chair, and sighed, and took out a tiny little jeweler's box.

"I had hoped that after this week, you would change your mind," he said. "I would give you flowers and then propose. I might as well give you this anyways - I doubt the jeweler would want it back..."

Miku gasped and at once her world spiraled. Too fast, everything was too fast...why did everyone want her to choose!? Miku put her hand to her head, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Len, I...I can't...not while Luka's alive, I..."

"Take it," he said. "And besides, you said that she wouldn't live much longer, correct?" He smiled a gruesome little smile.

"Len, please," Miku said, and Len took her by the arms, and looked at her in the eyes.

"All you need to do," he said, seriously and softly, "is to tell me that you no longer love me, that you do not wish to marry me, and I will go away. That is all it takes."

Miku said nothing and dropped her eyes to the floor. Her heart was beating quickly in her head and she wanted everything to go away. She wanted her life to be simple and easy and not like this...Miku felt Len put the ring on her ring finger, and Miku let her hand stay limp in his grasp, not protesting, not pushing back.

"We've kept secrets from each other since we were children," he said softly. "I understand. I will wait for you, then." And then he pulled her into a kiss and Miku's feelings of guilt became unbearable. The only thought that ran through her mind was the relief that Luka was not waiting for her at the mirror tonight.

-o-o-o-

Miku made her way to the lake, her throat sore from the onset of what she recognized as a heavy cold. She had put Len's ring on a necklace and wore it - as long as it was there, it would be nothing more than a pretty bauble...nothing more than that. When Miku reached the lake, however, there was no one there.

"Luka?" Miku whispered to the darkness. The trees loomed high around her, and there was nothing above her but the dark blue sky of night. And the only thing that greeted her was silence. Disbelief, cold, hard disbelief and hurt, made its way into Miku's mind. Had Luka truly abandoned her? Did she really lose interest in Miku? No...if she did, then Miku wouldn't be able to stand it.

Miku trembled with fear and hurt and frustration and panic, and she yelled Luka's name, again.

"Shh, shh...I am here," said Luka's voice, so suddenly Miku gave a little start.

Relief washed through Miku, making her knees grow weak, and she turned and saw Luka, framed by the moonlight. She looked so elegantly mysterious, the dark accompanying her and showing Miku only what Luka wanted her to see - which was to say, everything but her deformity. Miku wanted to collapse into Luka's arms, but her relief was immediately replaced by hurt anger. She was certain that Luka had been standing here, just watching Miku make a fool of herself.

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" Miku asked, her voice shaky.

Luka only cocked her head. "I just wanted to see something...scientific curiosity."

"How cruel of you," said Miku, bitterly.

"Not as cruel as love," said Luka, and she took Miku's hand - Miku felt a small thrill course through her body at the touch of Luka's hand, gloved as it may be - and led her to a small boat moored at the lake, and Miku was taken, not to the basement, but to a small, secluded house, on a small, secluded island, hidden by trees and foliage.

It was warm in the house, though, and Miku coughed. At once, Luka swung and stared at Miku with frightful intensity.

"What's wrong with your throat?" she asked.

"It's only a cold," said Miku. "I sung over it tonight so nobody noticed - there was a standing ovation and everything, if only you had been there to see-"

"You idiot!" Luka suddenly seemed very angry. "You think I'd be happy to hear that you were ruining your voice?"

"But Luka," Miku stammered, "I couldn't back out of the performance...I'm sorry, I didn't think that it would matter, just this once..."

"You have no self-restraint," Luka continued, darkly. "I suppose your lovely Len was there in the crowd. You sang to please him, didn't you? He probably waited for you after the performance, with flowers, to ask you out to supper...for the sake of that damned boy, you would ruin your voice?"

Miku said nothing - she only buried her head into the pillow on the couch, miserably, as tears fell down her cheeks, and at once Luka quieted and she looked down at Miku with remorse and tenderness.

"I'm sorry, Miku," said Luka. "I forget how...prone people can be to temptations...please don't cry. You know I can't stand to see you cry."

Miku sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "I don't have any handkerchiefs..."

Luka nodded once and left the room. A few moments later, she returned, handkerchiefs in tow. They were delicate things, and monogrammed with an R. Miku blinked at it in confusion.

"Don't worry," said Luka, smiling slightly. "I can assure you that they didn't come from an admirer. I'm sorry, Miku. I just don't want your voice to be ruined...something as delicate as that should be treated with care. Especially," Luka looked up at Miku, her expression more tender than ever before, "especially a voice as beautiful as yours."

Miku nodded, even though inside she was protesting that Luka's voice was far more beautiful than hers would ever be.

"I'm sorry," said Miku, meekly.

Luka exhaled. "I forgive you. Just...be more careful in the future. Now," Luka's voice became businesslike. "I can't have you wandering about with a cold. Lay back, and I will make you some tea."

Miku obeyed, although she could not avoid noticing that, as Luka brought her a blanket, that Luka's hands were trembling even worse now.


	7. Chapter 7

Luka knew that was she was doing was terrible, deceitful...but she promised herself that she would only act on it as a last resort. That thought in mind, she stared down ruefully at her trembling hands, and nodded, once, to herself, before getting up from her desk so that she could attend to Miku.

Miku was lying back on the couch, staring at the ceiling of the house. Luka had brought Miku to this house, instead of to the basement, as a sort of apology - staying cooped up in a basement all day was no place for a lady like Miku, who would probably be far more comfortable in an actual brick-and-mortar home than in the underground basement in the theater. As Miku had taken ill, Luka wrote a letter to the managers of the theater, detailing Miku's circumstances, telling the managers to call on Miku's understudy for now, and delivered it to the theater at night, when Miku was asleep.

Luka didn't want people to know the location of this house, naturally. She had designed it herself, thanks to her apprenticeship at an architect's, and she hired several tight-lipped masons, and the whole deal was done in complete secrecy.

But in the meantime, Luka coddled and treated with Miku care and attention. Eventually, Luka decided that Miku's voice was well enough for her to sing again, after listening to Miku sing a few scales.

"You're well enough to sing now," said Luka, "and you can resume your role at the theater tomorrow night."

Miku smiled and nodded obediently, like a child.

"And...and," Luka continued, nervously, although she hid it from her voice well, "if the air continues to be good for your throat, we could take a carriage down to the park. Would you like that?"

It was to be Miku and Luka's first outing in the outside world together, and Miku looked astonished by the offer. Luka had planned this for a while, though - going out at night to check when the amount of people in park would be lowest, scouting out areas of the park where there would be less light, so as she would not seem too out of place...a public outing was something that could not be taken lightly by someone like Luka, who had to skulk and sneak to hide her face.

"Of...of course," Miku stammered. "I'd love to."

Luka noticed with relief that Miku did not seem disgusted at the idea (was that actual happiness in her voice?).

"Thank you, Miku," said Luka.

-o-o-o-

They drove to the park in a brougham. It was dark, and the moon was already out, but still Luka was surprised to see that there were still a few people in the park: mostly people in pairs or groups, as it could be dangerous to wander the park alone. There were also a few disreputable parts of the great park at night, where there would be whores and drink, but Luka of course would not bring Miku to such parts.

Miku on her part seemed entranced by the outside world. She stared out of the brougham window, her eyes alight as she gazed in near-rapture at such ordinary things as streetlamps and houses and restaurants and bars, and Luka watched her sadly, knowing that, if Miku were to choose her, the outside world that she loved so much would be locked away from her and only taken out in special occasions. Once again, Luka cursed her face. If she had been born normal, she would be able to bring Miku wherever she pleased...but then again, if she had been born undeformed, then she would not even have met Miku in the first place...

Luka sighed then, and she gazed out of the window on her side. She was wearing a slightly more unobtrusive mask, black, that covered only the part of her face that was deformed, as well as a hat, so that her features may be suitably obscured.

Miku seemed to have heard Luka sigh, and she turned and looked at her questioningly. "What's wrong?"

The concern apparent in Miku's voice made Luka feel warm inside, although she gave no indication of that in her bearing. "Oh...nothing. We're here."

The green acres of the park spread out before them, and they got out of the brougham, and wandered around the desolate pathways of the empty park. There was something in wandering the park at night, alone, that gave it a sort of otherworldly feeling, as if by some accident Miku and Luka had stumbled into a parallel universe, somehow. Luka looked about, her eyes taking in every aspect of the park - its trees, its grass, its statues, its lake, and its plants and bushes. It was perfectly planned, an elegant mask, and everything, Luka knew, was artificial - the product of artifice and humanity rather than of nature. It was a splendid and elegant illusion, and Luka remarked upon this.

Miku looked at her, puzzlement evident in her face. "I think it's beautiful," she said, hesitantly, obviously unsure of what Luka meant. Luka was surprised by her innocence.

"This whole park is a sham, Miku," said Luka. "It's not real nature, here. This whole place is wearing a mask - it's fake."

"Well, then perhaps it's not reality I want to see," said Miku. Luka glanced at her quickly, vaguely hopeful. Luka put no great stock in reality, herself - it was far more pleasant to spend one's days in illusion. After all, if Luka was perfectly content with reality, she wouldn't be wearing a mask - she'd be in the poor quarter, mocked and ostracized, faced with brutal reality every day. At least with a mask, she could hide behind illusions.

"Do you mean it, Miku?" asked Luka. "You could, under some circumstances, find deception of your senses acceptable?"

The two of them had reached the brougham again, and Luka turned towards Miku and offered her her hand to help her step up into the carriage, but at that moment, another lumbering carriage rolled up to them, and, irritated, Luka looked away, at the unwelcome intruder. The whole carriage reeked of alcohol.

"Oh ho!" cried one of its passengers, voice heavy and merry. "Look what we have here, a lady of the night!"

Lady of the night, Luka knew, was the euphemism for 'prostitute'. As Luka always dressed androgynously and at times, even wore men's clothing, and her hat was covering much of her face, she knew that the passengers could not be addressing her, which meant that they were addressing Miku.

"That's right!" chimed in another voice. "Young lady, spare your favors instead for our suffering young noble in the carriage! Jilted by a cruel diva..."

"For Christ's sake, shut up!" Len's voice said from within the caravan. "Ignore these drunk fools, driver - let's move on."

"What's the fuss, Len? These show girls are all the same, lemme tell you," said the first voice. "Least a friend could do is treat you to a good, honest whore, and at this hour, you know as well as I that the great park of Crypton is full of whores."

Miku's face had turned pale, and Luka was feeling angry. Just her luck to have everything ruined by a bunch of drunkards, and Len to boot.

"Get in the carriage, quickly!" Luka snapped, and Miku hastily climbed into the carriage. Three young men were unloading from the other carriage, Len in the middle, someone Luka saw, to her surprise, be Gakupo on the left, and a man she did not know on the right. Luka leapt into the brougham, slammed the door, and ordered the driver to move. Len saw Miku through the window, and his face twisted in sad agony. Luka saw Miku respond to his expression, even craning her head to get a better look at him through the window, as the brougham sped on.

Luka's excellent mood had been completely ruined by the night's events.

"I must say that I deplore your young man's taste in companions," Luka said, icily, and she stared out the window in silence, and completely ignored Miku for the rest of the journey. She was far too upset right now, and she feared that if she were to talk to Miku, she would yell at her and scare her. Miku, for her part, merely shrunk into her seat and said nothing also.

When the two of them reached the lake, Luka opted not to boat to the little house, but to drag Miku back down through the sewers to the theater basement. Miku did not resist - she allowed herself to be taken there. Once there, Luka stalked over to the piano and banged her fingers on the keyboard, trying to release her anger into the piano. She played a savage song that made Miku wince.

"U-um," said Miku, over the crashing chords, "...may I...sing for you?"

Luka stopped playing, and sighed, trying to calm her twisting anger. "Right...your lesson. Well, since you've just recovered, you may choose what piece you wish to sing tonight..."

Miku nodded, and chose to sing a soft, soothing song - an intelligent choice considering Luka's mood at the moment. Luka listened to Miku's singing, but she sang the song completely perfectly today, no hiccups or mistakes, and her voice really was wonderful, and by the time she had finished, Luka found that her mood had improved significantly.

"You did excellently, Miku," Luka said, sitting up straight and looking at her. "You'd succeed on every stage in the world, I promise you that. I wonder if you know how happy you've made me these past few months with your improvement..."

Miku bowed her head in modesty, but she did not say anything.

"Are you tired?" asked Luka. "Should we stop for today?"

"Oh, no," said Miku, looking up. "I'm fine. I can sing more. You choose the next one."

"Very well," said Luka, and she turned and began looking through the scores. She suddenly felt an odd urge, and almost instinctively she picked Lotte. "I think we should do the final scene from Lotte...I always think this part should be played in a wedding dress, don't you? A young girl choosing to become entombed with her lover...it's terribly over-the-top, but with such music, it can make anything believable. There's a wedding dress in the costume closet - perhaps you would like to try it on?"

Although Luka delivered her above words coolly, inside she was feeling incredibly nervous. It was no accident that she picked the final scene of Lotte. Miku in a wedding dress was what Luka wanted to see.

Not that Miku would ever consent to marrying her, but...it was good to pretend. Luka quickly looked up to gauge Miku's reaction. She looked stricken.

"A...wedding dress?" Miku echoed.

Luka turned her gaze back towards the piano and frowned to herself. Miku's uneasiness had hurt her...although, what did Luka expect, anyways? Miku to happily put on the wedding dress, no questions asked? "...It is only a costume to help you feel the character better. Of course, if you'd rather not, you don't have to," Luka spoke coldly as she began to close up the score. "Perhaps it's just as well that we leave this scene alone. Obviously, you're not yet emotionally ready for the scene of 'O Terre Adieu'."

"I am ready!" said Miku, rising to the bait. "I can do it, Luka, let me try! It's a beautiful story!"

"Yes," Luka said as she stared at the score. "It is a beautiful story."

Miku then headed off to change, and Luka put her head in her hands. That dress had been tailormade for Miku - after so much obsessive examinings of her, Luka knew her measurements. She bit her lip as she nervously fingered the ring in her pocket - Luka had bought both the ring and the wedding dress in the week that she had sent Miku away. After all, she wanted it to be a surprise...but Miku had seemed so upset when Luka sent her away. Luka didn't understand it - Miku's feelings seemed so confusing, she didn't know what to think. She would be sweet one moment, and cold the next.

A few moments later, Miku emerged wearing the wedding dress, and Luka noted that it looked absolutely breathtaking on her...as it should, seeing how Luka literally spent days picking one out for her. Nothing less than absolute perfection was acceptable for her angel. In fact, Luka was so stunned by Miku's beauty, the score slowly slipped from her fingers and scattered on the floor. Miku bent to pick them up.

"No, leave them," said Luka, and she turned towards the piano, and tried to compose herself. "Now begin."

Miku hesitated. "But, I'm playing Lotte...right? So you should start from Raoul-"

"No, no," Luka waved her hand. "Just begin."

Miku nodded and sang. "My heart longing for your embrace, I ventured to the tomb...far from human gaze, in your arms I wished to die-"

"That was a mistake..." It was too much, hearing Miku sing those words in a wedding gown. No good...Luka wouldn't be able to restrain herself for much longer, but in fear of repulsing Miku, in fear of making her run away, Luka held back, and swallowed, and turned away, her fingers agitatedly twitching with the ring in her hands. "T-take off that gown, Miku...quickly, if you please..." Luka started to hug herself tightly, squeezing her eyes shut. No, no, must hold back. Miku's feelings for her were still a muddled mess, and Luka couldn't force herself on her. Luka had always tried to act perfectly good around Miku, and Luka'd be damned if an untoward impulse would drive her to ruin everything.

"Are you ill?" Miku, worried, took a step closer, and Luka felt the material of her wedding gown brush enticingly on her back.

"No!" Luka said, her voice strangled, and then she began to laugh, bitterly. "Well, perhaps I am, a strange sort of sickness..."

"What?" Miku sounded worried. "If you're ill, I should stay-"

"No!" Luka slammed her fist on the piano, and a chorus of ugly keys rang out. "Leave me!"

Miku said nothing more, and Luka heard her flee to her room. Luka thought she heard barely suppressed sobs from her, and sighed. She looked down at her piano, sadly. She always made things go wrong. Luka may have resisted her lust, but she had hurt and frightened Miku. She felt so guilty, so terrible, that she couldn't stand to be in the basement much longer. She gently stepped over Juent, who was blinking, sleepily confused, at Miku's door and then at Luka, and put on her hat and traveling cloak. She had to take a walk.

-o-o-o-

The streets were cold and inhospitable, the perfect companion to Luka's dark thoughts. She walked down the streets, thoroughly and completely miserable, when she suddenly heard a panicked shout behind her.

"Stop right there," cried Len's voice, "or I'll shoot!"

Luka sighed. She really didn't want to deal with that boy right now, although she had to admit that she was a little impressed by his courage. He was facing a known assassin in the middle of the night, armed only with a gun.

"Put that firearm away,," she said. "Such things shouldn't be in the hands of children. You might hurt yourself." And then she turned around, deliberately contemptuous, and continued walking. She heard the sharp noise of a bullet being fired, and it grazed her on the shoulder. Len fired twice more, each of them missing her...although not by intention, Luka knew. The boy meant to shoot her down in cold blood - if his aim was a bit more on the mark, Luka would have died.

Luka remembered bitterly how it would have been so, so easy to kill Len all those times before, when he was defenseless, but she had held back due to some notion of 'fair play'. Well, the boy proved himself to not be constrained by such merciful ideas. Apparently a monster, a thing like Luka, was not even worth challenging a duel to. Trembling with anger, Luka made her way back to the theater as the first reddish lights of dawn appeared on the horizon.

She could not delay this any longer...Luka closed her eyes and thought of Miku, her smile and her voice and her gentle kindness. To have that taken away from her would be too much...

It was time, Luka decided, for Miku to make her choice.

-o-o-o-

Luka returned home. Miku was still in her room...had Luka really upset her so much? She sighed and placed her head against the piano. Juent leapt up and Luka cradled him, trying to draw a little strength from the cat. She envied him - the life of a cat was so simple. Luka stayed like that for a long while, until she became aware that Miku was kneeling by her feet. Luka looked down at her, puzzled.

"Luka," said Miku. "Please say something...if I stay locked up here with only my own thoughts for company...it feels like I'd go mad..."

Luka's eyes widened and she stiffened. She stared at Miku in horror. Locked up...did Miku really think of this as a prison? That can't be...Luka had tried to give Miku freedom...Miku was free to leave whenever she wanted with the sewers key (although Luka told Miku to give that to Len, she apparently didn't, to Luka's private relief), and Miku would perform nightly as she knew the way to the stage from Luka's basement well...it's only that she was now living with Luka instead of in her room. Surely, being with Luka was better than being in her room, right?

But now Luka was beginning to see how foolish she was for thinking that. "You...think this place is a prison? Is this what my house...means to you? A prison?"

"It's not a prison," said Miku, slowly, "unless you make it so...these past few days, you've been...I feel like I don't know you anymore..."

Miku's words wounded Luka deeply, and she dully looked at her piano. "...my apologies, Miku. I...I've told you of my past. I have more...darkness in my mind than I care to have, but oh, Miku," Luka turned towards her again, "if you were my wife, then I would be happy...I would feel like my life has some meaning. You would complete everything in me."

Miku did not say anything. She only looked at Luka, and Luka thought that an appalled expression sped through Miku's face. Luka got up and walked away.

"It seems that the voice you seem to adore so much isn't half as pleasant when it says things you don't want to hear," said Luka, bitterly. "I suppose some words in a monster's mouth can be rendered obscenities, eh? Words such as 'love'...'marriage'...'wife'."

Miku remained silent, and Luka turned towards her. She had her head to the floor, looking for all the world like a guilty prisoner about to be guillotined. Luka's heart stirred, sadly, and she walked over and knelt down next to Miku.

"I am sorry for yesterday," said Luka. "But if you married me...I would accept any condition you cared to name, anything." Freaks like Luka cannot have proper legal weddings, of course, but in this case, Luka thought it to be a blessing - they could simply have a small private two-person ceremony and they would be together and who cares about the difference?

"Luka..." said Miku, softly.

"You don't believe me," said Luka flatly. "You think I'm lying, don't you?"

"I believe you," said Miku.

Luka felt utterly wretched. "It's that boy, isn't it...? Ah, Miku, it won't be for long. How long will I live, after this life? Not long, to be sure, five, six months, and you will be a young widow, free to marry Len, if you so wish..."

Miku stared at Luka, once again looking appalled, shocked, but at what, Luka did not know.

"...I won't beg for your love," said Luka as she turned her face away. "Please, just come back tomorrow evening. Tell me your decision. Even if...even if that decision is no."

"I will," whispered Miku.

-o-o-o-

After Miku left, Luka went into the room in her house that was Miku's, and as she straightened out the wedding gown, something fell out from its folds.

Luka examined it. It was a necklace, with a crucifix on it, and next to it...

Luka paled. A ring. An exquisite one, very expensive, diamonds set in it...this was no mere keepsake, no bauble, no...this was a wedding ring.

She fell to her knees, the necklace slipping from her grasp onto the floor. Luka knew now that she had to find the courage within herself to let Miku go. Miku had been kind, infinitely so...Luka began to realize that Miku stayed with her out of pity and kindness, and so she hid this ring, for she did not want to hurt Luka, and oh...a freak like Luka would never, ever obtain happiness. Miku was too perfect. Luka had spent thirteen years of her life looking for her...she gave up everything for her, Kaito and Meiko and her innocence, obsessively learning everything, killing, for Miku, but it was all for naught, it didn't mean anything in the end, Luka was only the little freak girl and she would always be the little freak girl and she never meant anything more than that. She may dress herself up and act eloquent and elegant, but it was all an act, wasn't it, in the end?

Luka loved Miku enough to let her go, or so she hoped. She would see Miku off and wish her a happy life with that boy, Kagamine Len, for Miku deserved far, far more than Luka. Tears rolled down Luka's cheeks, landed on the floor, and Luka tried to stifle her sobs. She couldn't and so Luka cried on the bed she had made for Miku, in the room she had constructed and set aside for Miku...it was all for her. It wasn't fair...

Luka had never been religious, but prayer was her one last resort. God was the greatest magician of all, wasn't He? If He could make rainbows and transform caterpillars into butterflies, surely...surely it was possible for Him to change hate and fear into love?

Luka ran to the highest point of the theater, on the rooftop, next to the statue of Apollo, and she fell on her knees, and she put her hands together, and she prayed for the very first time in her life.

"Please God, let her love me and I promise I will be good forever..."


	8. Chapter 8

"You must run away, Miku," said Len, his face a mask of horror after Miku told him everything. "Even if you refuse her, she'd go after you. Do you really think someone like her can take 'no' as an answer?"

"I don't know, Len," said Miku, feeling completely and utterly wretched. They were on the roof of the theater - it was the most secluded place, no one ever went up there. "I don't know what to do, what to say...I'm scared..."

Len pulled Miku into a hug. "Hush now," he said softly. "I'll protect you. I'll do my damnedest to protect you from her."

Miku burrowed herself in Len's arms. He was safe, familiar. Miku remembered that she fell in love with him when she was eighteen, an innocent love, one born after years spent with each other. Luka was wild and unpredictable and she spent thirteen years looking for Miku. Thirteen years! Miku thought back to all the times when she went through life, happy and carefree, while Luka dragged and clawed her way to where she is.

"Should I run away with you?" Miku asked to Len, her mind and feelings more confused than ever. Did she love Luka? Or was it Len she loved? Who...? Who would she go with, in the end? She wasn't ready for this...none of this. It was going too fast...

Len nodded. "There is not much time. If you want to escape from her, now's the best time to do it."

"No," Miku shook her head. "I have to sing at a performance today..."

"Miku!" Len looked aghast. "Why!? We have to escape from Luka, now! She's evil, insane!"

"I owe so much to her," said Miku, softly. "This is the only way I know to say goodbye."

Len exhaled. "...very well. I don't understand you sometimes, Miku." He hugged her tighter, and Miku hugged back.

Neither of them noticed the shadow next to the statue of Apollo.

-o-o-o-

So this was how God rewarded her prayers? A few minutes after Luka finished her desperate plea, she heard the sound of footsteps, and then, Miku's voice mingling with that of Len's.

Immediately, Luka hopes turned to dust, as she heard them speak of escape plans. Miku wasn't even going to give her an answer. She was just going to run away, leave Luka behind, like she never meant anything to her, as if Luka wasn't worth giving a straight answer to. No one cares about monsters. Apparently God didn't care for Luka, if He responded to her earnest prayer, her very first one, made in complete desperation, like this. She could almost see Him laughing at her from high above, deriding her love as sinful and wrong.

Miku promised to tell Luka her decision...she promised, and she broke it. Luka felt a slow coldness burn over her mind. What did she ever receive from Miku? Nothing but lies and broken promises. She never kept any promise to Luka - not the first one, where she promised not to run from Luka's face. Not the second one, where she promised to see Luka again. Not the third one, where she promised to come back to tell Luka of her decision. Those promises were nothing but lies. It was foolish for Luka to have believed her in the first place.

That hateful, lying girl...Luka had given up everything for her, and for what? For _this_? To be kicked aside, not even given the dignity of an answer, while Miku runs off with Len to live happily ever after?

Well, Luka wasn't going to be left with just that. Her grief and pain slowly faded away, as her hands clenched into fists. The love Luka had for Miku receded away into the shadows, replaced by cold hatred. Luka felt her mind clear for the first time in a long time, and she breathed in and out deeply. She could kill anyone tonight without hesitation, and take her revenge.

-o-o-o-

The preparations were simple. Luka spent some time in her laboratory, making explosives, called upon an assassin who still had friendly feelings for her to escort Len down to the basement, and she cloaked herself in the attire of Mephistopheles, for Miku was performing in Faust tonight. Freed from the shackles of her blinded love, Luka found it to be quite simple to arrange everything. She planted explosives in the chandelier, murdered the actor who was to play Mephistopheles with a concealed dagger, and hid the body somewhere. Luka was not performing, but it would be suspicious to have two actors for Mephistopheles lurking backstage.

The moment Miku took the stage and began to sing was the moment Luka struck. She detonated the explosives, the chandelier fell into the audience with a deafening crash, and the theater erupted in flame from the resulting explosives. The ensuing chaos was enough for Luka to take Miku back down to the basement, but not before shutting off the lights - the fire provided all the illumination Luka needed, and besides, she knew the theater better than anyone. The path down to the basement now was spiraling - it seemed to Luka that each step taken was a step deeper into the prison of her mind, the fire of the theater above stinging her eyes and nose like the entrance to hell, her basement home, formerly so welcoming, hell itself. There will be no escape, no salvation, nothing, nothing but herself and the coldness of betrayal.

Miku did not scream or struggle - Luka suspected, dispassionately, that she was stunned by everything. Indeed, it was only when Luka told Miku to put on the wedding gown that laid on her bed in the basement that Miku stirred back to life.

"Luka, please," she stammered.

"Put it on," said Luka. "You must be well-dressed to receive our guests tonight."

"Guests?" Miku stared at Luka, uncomprehending.

"Wedding guests, my dear," said Luka in a voice as smooth as silk. "Witnesses, so to speak." And with that, Luka left the room and looked at herself in the mirror. The sight of herself did not fill her with the fear and disgust it should have had - the part of her who would be horrified by her actions now was silent and still, perhaps even dead. Luka was protected by the shield of her great teacher, Death - she knew that nothing could hurt her anymore. There would be no more pain for her, no more suffering, no more pining hopelessly for a girl who would never love her back. It was foolish for her to think otherwise in the first place - she would always be alone and outcast, and nothing would ever change that, no matter how much she tried. If the world wanted to see her as a monster, then a monster she will be.

Luka then went over to the piano - there was nothing more to do than to wait - and she began to play a savage, shrieking song, ugly to the senses, offensive to the world, just like herself. She lost herself in the music (if it could be called that in the first place) for a while, and when she finished, the silence was deafening. Suddenly, Luka remembered Miku, and decided to check on her to see if she had finished putting on the dress yet.

Luka entered the room, and saw Miku looking dazed, her forehead covered with blood. She was kneeling next to the wall, and Luka noticed with indifference that there was some blood on there too. Whar had she been doing? Trying to commit suicide? Luka sighed and tsked and walked over to Miku, wiping away the blood and treating her wounds with cold efficiency, like how she would a corpse: calm, detached, and utterly devoid of tenderness. She laughed a little to herself, under her breath, as she did.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Miku.

"I'm laughing at you, of course," said Luka. "At how incompetently you went about trying to kill yourself! What'd you accomplish other than a headache, and ruining your wedding dress? For this sort of thing, you should ask a master in death, such as myself...I'd be quite happy to help you, you know...I have plenty of deadly implements that are far more efficient than banging in your head..."

"I wasn't trying to kill myself," Miku protested. "It's just, that music you were playing, it scares me. It was just so-"

"Yes," said Luka. "I remember that you are easily frightened. Don't be, Death's quite an accommodating fellow, nothing to be afraid of...doesn't discriminate, takes in everyone...be it princesses or fleas. He can be theatrical if needed, of course...wonder if the chandelier incident I arranged was-"

"You...you made the chandelier fall!?" Miku's eyes widened. "But...but you could have killed people!"

Luka applied a bandage to a cut on Miku's arm. "Perhaps. I am a murderer, you know, difficult to be one without killing people every now and then. Oh, and by the way, I do believe that you've forgotten something..." Luka held up the crucifix and the ring, and dropped them into Miku's hands. Miku went even whiter, if that was possible.

"Please don't get sick over my carpet," said Luka, coldly. "At least tell me in good time to fetch you a bowl."

Miku stared at her trembling hands and the ring for a few moments, before slowly gazing up at Luka.

"Why...why are you being so cruel?" Miku asked, her voice timid, her eyes wide.

Luka could almost laugh. "You taught me cruelty tonight, Miku, on the roof of the theater...Len has quite a penetrating voice, after all...of course, I am perfectly willing to be reasonable and say that it's all his fault. I expect that he'd be down here shortly."

"How can he come here?" Miku sat up against the cushions, alarmed. "He doesn't even know the way..."

Luka looked at Miku. "Do you really think a thing like that would stop him? That boy'd fight dragons for you. A knight in armor to save a damsel in distress from some harbinger of destruction." The scorn and coldness in Luka's voice made Miku shrink back into the cushions. "And besides, he has help in getting down here...I called upon one of my old, let's say, friends to guide him..."

"Luka, please, please don't be so angry," Miku said, and her voice was little more than a beg.

"Angry? Angry? Why should I be _angry_?" Luka's voice was heavily sarcastic. "You have the right to run off with whoever you want to run off with, correct?"

"I...I never meant to hurt you," Miku stammered.

Luka started laughing. "Never meant to hurt me? So you were just going to let me stand here, pacing back and forth, looking at the clock, waiting for you to arrive and give me your answer, and then when I tire of that and begin worrying about you, I'd travel up to your room...to see only an empty dressing room being cleared out, without even a note, a goodbye, an _answer_...and you say that you never meant to _hurt_ me? Please, Miku."

"I...I didn't want-" Miku began, but Luka swung on her.

"I _trusted_ you!" Luka yelled. "I trusted you to treat me like a human being, to tell me your answer, to honor your word! All these years of my life, I worshipped you! You were my life, I gave up _everything_ for you! And you would never come back, never give me a straight answer, I meant nothing to you, didn't I? There was nothing, _nothing _I wouldn't do to please you. Everything I did was for you, but you didn't care about that, did you? No, you cared only for your handsome little magician. Well, I'm a bit of a magician too, Miku. I can make things disappear, like your beloved Len. I don't want to remember how he took you away from me, so I will make him disappear instead..."

Miku said nothing. Her eyes were half-closed; she seemed to be in even more of a daze. Hitting her head really hadn't been good for her. A few moments later, there was a sharp, ringing noise, and Miku's eyes snapped open.

"Do not be alarmed, Miku," said Luka as she straightened up. "It is only our guests. Came a bit later than I would have liked, but what can you do..."

Luka pressed a master switch, and a wall slid before her, revealing velvet-black curtains. Luka drew them apart. Inside was Len, looking angry, confused, banging on the glass that separated him from Miku and Luka. Miku stifled a gasp.

"A word of explanation...this is a two-way mirror, much like the one in your room. We can see him. He can't see us. Of course, he can hear us well enough," Luka walked a little closer to Len. "Good evening, Mr. Kagamine - may I call you Len? Well, Len, I hope you're not going to disappoint us. I'm sure you will die brilliantly. You nobleman types always do. It's in all these years of practice, what, three revolutions in the last hundred years? We're in the Third Republic now, correct? Ah," Luka snapped her fingers. "You may be interested to hear that your little bride is here watching. Say something, Miku, if you please."

Miku was crying, softly, little sniffles and sobs, and Luka frowned theatrically, even though Len couldn't see her. "Oh, you'll have to do better than that, Miku! You have such a talent for crying, we wouldn't want to see it go to waste!"

Miku fell to her knees. "Let him go, Luka, please!"

Luka said nothing.

"I'll marry you, Luka," Miku continued, feverishly. "If you would only let him go, I swear to you that I will marry you in any church in the world."

Luka laughed. "Oh, I see. You're determined to be the noble martyr? And this nice young man of yours, he's going to agree to that, hm? Just come out of there, shake my hand, 'well congratulations you two I'm off now'? You know as well as I that the moment I let him out, he'll kill me. Please, Miku, not even the most cliched opera will have a twist like this."

"You could just write a letter to the managers or something," Miku continued doggedly, "We'll just go away, just leave everything and go away."

"You're not really thinking this through, are you?" Luka asked. "My God, Len, listen to her speak! Are you amazed? You should be!"

"Luka-"

"And what of after the marriage?" Luka said. "What happens once we have this no doubt civilized wedding? Would you throw yourself under the wheels of a carriage? Commit suicide on the bridal night? I have some very nice knives, really, perhaps while you're waiting you should look at them."

"I d-don't understand," Miku stammered through her sobs. "Why...why are you mocking me like this? I...you told me once that it would be enough for you to simply call me 'wife'..."

"Well, I maybe don't _want_ that anymore!" Luka turned on her. "Maybe I don't want a sacrifice anymore, a girl who shivers with disgust at my touch, a girl who marries me out of pity! I don't want you, Miku, your fear or your pity, I don't want you!"

There was only silence, for a long while, and Miku had stopped crying.

"Then...then what do you want, Luka?" Miku asked, softly. "What is it that you want?"

Luka stayed silent and dropped the velvet curtains, hiding Len from view once more, and walked over to the hearth, stroking it softly. She wanted a kiss, a hug...she wanted affection...she wanted acceptance...she wanted love, genuine, real love. Not the pity Miku felt for her.

Luka closed her eyes. She had lived so many years without love, and she knew now after years of deluding herself that she never would. She was a freak and a monster, and she had not been good.

Perhaps it would be best to end it all here. Luka's fingers searched for the switch to the explosives planted on the powder kegs hidden in the basement...it would be so simple to hit it here, and it would all be over.

Before she could, Luka heard movement behind her, and she turned. She saw Miku wearing her wedding veil. At the mere sight of this, remorse, heavy and thick, hit Luka. She had completely dismantled and ruined this girl, this innocent, childish girl, who went into the theater to fulfill her dreams...but got this instead, and it was all Luka's fault.

Luka trembled, pinpricks of tears threatening the edge of her vision. Miku slowly drew back her veil, like a bride, and she approached Luka. Her face was pale, her eyes still red from the tears, the blood from her attempted suicide still on her dress. Luka felt, all at once, the intense love she has for Miku rush back, and it hit her with an unfamiliar force that made Luka's knees feel weak.

"I just want you to love me," Luka whispered, and she fell to her knees and hugged Miku to her and cried openly before her for the first time of her life.

Miku bent over, and Luka felt Miku's arms wrapping around her back in the unfamiliar, alien feeling of an embrace, and after a few moments, Miku knelt before Luka, and her eyes were full of some emotion that was strange and alien to her.

"I do love you," Miku whispered. Luka's shoulders shook. She didn't know whether to believe it, and she clung onto all she knew, trying to regain her coolness, her mocking demeanor.

"Do you really think I'll believe you after this?" Luka asked, although her voice did not sound as mocking as it should - it was weak and trembling and sounded like a beg.

Miku smiled at her and she took off Luka's mask, gently, and with it, Luka's façade. Luka was a frightened little girl in the freak show again, wanting a friend from the outside, knowing nothing other than hay and endless insults.

"Kiss me," said Miku softly, and, trembling, Luka moved and her lips brushed lightly over Miku's bruised forehead. She did not dare to do more. She was uncertain and timid and she was all the more aware of her deformity now that her mask was off. In her mind she was back in the freak show again, a little girl in the hay, sounding out words and learning how to read. That was so long ago. It was all so long ago.

Miku actually managed to chuckle lightly (sounding so much like the girl Luka fell in love with thirteen years ago) and shook her head. She brought her hands up to Luka's head, and she stroked Luka's deformed cheek for a few moments, lovingly, softly, before bringing her lips to Luka's.

Luka tasted the salt of tears and she realized that she was crying again. Miku deepened the kiss and easily kicked aside the crutches of Luka's pain and sorrow and at that moment Luka felt happiness, more than she could bear, flood through her body, and then she pulled back and kept crying, and Miku only held Luka in her embrace.

"I love you," Luka sobbed, desperately as she clung onto Miku. "I love you. I love you!"

"I love you too," said Miku, and Luka knew that she meant it. "I'm sorry."

They stayed, holding onto each other for a long while, unable to let each other go.

Miku, Luka realized, was hers...truly, honestly hers.

And when Luka realized that, she knew that she could not kill Len.

-o-o-o-

_epilogue_

-o-o-o-

Kagamine Len and Hatsune Miku were married to much fanfare. The bride was blushing and beautiful, and the groom was nervous, yet proud. Miku still performed in the theater at times, although she sang no more.

The tales of the ghost in the theater faded away until the ghost was nothing more than a memory. One day, an old janitor decided to travel down to the lower levels of the basement, only to find it completely ransacked. There were old iron carcasses of wire, deadly ones that could easily cut through skin, lightbulbs, powder kegs. There were smashed mirrors, and bottles of alcohol.

It was the lowest floor, however, that shocked the janitor the most. It was the most beautiful room he had ever seen, surpassing even the upper levels of the theater. There was a piano, and a very expensive Persian rug, and books and books, and scores neatly stacked on a wooden desk. There were black cushions on a black couch, an empty coffin. One room had a swan bed, next to an incredibly opulent bathroom of marble, and next to that, a large dressing room.

It was also empty and lifeless.

-o-o-o-

"Are you happy?"

"...not really."

"You really have spent your whole life looking for her, haven't you..."

"...I suppose I have."

"Mm. I warned you about her way back in the beginning, though."

"Yes...I should have listened to you."

"Well, look, don't worry about that now...you're still young. You can be a contractor, an architect, people don't care how you look as that. I think you should make a new start in your life."

"Perhaps I should," Luka leaned over in her chair, feeling the fatigue wash over her. She sighed and stared moodily at her glass of wine. "I...I really should...maybe end up like you?" She grinned, humorlessly. "Go kill people? Right, Ripper?"

Brown eyes examined Luka from behind the table. "I did not become a killer by choice. That said, I am surprised you found us."

"I can find anyone," said Luka. "I spent years looking for one girl. It was...very simple for me to find you two again."

"I'm amazed. You completely forgot about us for fourteen years, and you're only just now looking for us."

Luka shifted, uncomfortably, in her seat. "I...I'm sorry, Meiko. I...was blinded. I thought of nothing but Miku."

"Does she love you?" Kaito asked, glancing up from his food. Meiko smiled at him, and at the sight of it, Luka felt her heart tear. She stared back down at her glass of wine.

Miku said she loved her, didn't she? Although Luka really couldn't keep Miku in the basement forever. She tried to commit suicide once, she may have tried to do that again. Miku's love, Luka found, was capricious and wild, and the girl was addled, she truly didn't know what she was doing...she had banged her head on the wall one too many times, didn't she? That kiss, that declaration of love, what did it mean? Was it to gain Len's freedom, or was it genuine? Luka had been swept away from what she perceived to be love and tenderness from Miku's eyes and voice, and she thought she knew Miku did, at the time, but was it possible that it was instead nothing more than an act? Miku was, after all, the best actress in the theater. Luka had trained her to sing and to act. It was not too farfetched to believe that Miku had been putting on an act for Luka's benefit. But there had been something genuine in Miku's gaze too. Luka truly did not know what to think when it came to that girl.

Well...at least, after Miku confessed, Luka had at last felt peace in her heart. She had freed Len, and bid the two of the farewell, although Miku did look, for one moment, stricken, and she was crying, and Luka was crying too, and Len had stood there, confused, ill-at-ease, awkward. Luka turned away first, and she left the two lovers alone.

"I don't know," said Luka. "She married the boy in the end, though. I suppose that's what matters." She took a large gulp of her wine. Meiko eyed her with a frown.

"God," she finally said. "You're so _unladylike_."

"As if you're the perfect epitome of female behavior," Luka said as she put the glass back down. "You drink more than me from the looks of it."

Kaito smiled, wryly. "I suppose you two are..." he paused, eyes fixed on Luka's hands, before speaking. His voice lost whatever humor it once had, became hesitant. "Luka, are you alright? Your hands are shaking…"

Luka glanced down at them. "Oh. These?" she smiled. "Don't worry about it."

-o-o-o-

Miku was Len's wife now.

Was she happy? She didn't know.

Miku drifted through life like a ghost. She felt disconnected from everything. Perhaps, she thought to herself, she had hit her head too hard in the basement.

She had been afraid. She had been a weak, indecisive, and above all, cowardly girl. She couldn't even give Luka a straight answer to her proposal. How could Miku go back to her? So afraid to say yes, but she couldn't say no. How could Miku bear to see Luka's suffering expression, hear her saddened, grief-wracked voice? Why did it have to be her? Luka should have chosen a strong-willed lioness to be her love...not this timid, frightened girl, completely out of her league in a world of love so deep Miku was scared and entranced at the same time. Miku loved Luka in many different ways, but her love was confused with the love she held for Len at the same time. One was a mysterious, pained girl with depths and power, the other was an idealistic boy that she knew for most of her life. One was unknown, the other was safe. Miku's love was like a shoddy little broken toy. Who wanted a pitiful thing like that?

Miku knew that what she was doing - or did - to Len was just as terrible. She was lying to him too. Miku by that point was just too tired to keep fighting, too tired of the endless choices and her own weakness, and Len had been so, so determined. He was completely willing to pluck the decision out of Miku's hands, to paint Luka as the monster, and in her infinite weakness and exhaustion, Miku had complied, she had played her part, she had engaged in a terrible deception on both sides...if she could get down and her knees and apologize to both of them, she would.

Miku had made that last performance for Luka, however. She sang for Luka, and said goodbye to her, the only way she knew how to. The cowardly way. But Luka had intervened, had dropped the chandelier, had taken her back down to the basement...

Miku had been so terrified then. Luka's words were dark and dangerous, and then when she played that savage, discordant song, it sounded so insane, Miku could feel something snap inside her. The chords, Luka's voice, Len, everything pounded into her head. She wanted it to stop, she stuffed her fingers into her ears to no avail. She pounded her head against the wall, trying to distract her ears with the pain, but all it got her was a bloodied forehead, and a mocking Luka who believed that she was trying to commit suicide.

Luka spoke so darkly, then. Len was imprisoned. Luka was completely in control. Miku...Miku felt like she was truly going mad. Her feelings were a giant, jumbled, tangled mess. It was all her fault. She wanted to die. Luka hated her and Miku felt lower than everything. Luka looked at her with hate that changed into mocking contempt after Miku had complied to be her bride to make it all end. Miku just wanted to escape. She just wanted to rest. She wanted to be away from everyone forcing choices on her. She wanted to be left alone, honestly alone, just for once...to think over her feelings, to think over herself...some place secluded where she could be by herself, where there would be no Len, and no Luka, and Miku could sit and think and try to restore her old self back.

But when Luka broke down in front of her and sobbed that she just wanted to be loved, Miku felt something within herself break also. She knew she loved Luka - she had been denying it from herself for a long time now - but she also loved Len, and it was just too confusing. Luka was crying and Miku comforted her the only way she knew how. She spoke the truth when she told Luka that she loved her, she honestly did. Her head may have been pounding, she may have felt light-headed, but Miku was for most part sober. It was a complete revelation to her at the time. Luka had been so afraid and timid when she lightly kissed Miku on the forehead after removing her mask, and Miku hated herself for ever making Luka think that her face actually mattered in the end. Luka was Luka. Miku had pulled her into a real kiss then, wanting more of her intoxicating...what? Tutor? Captor? Lover? Angel? Miku didn't know.

But after that, Luka had once again become distant, and she wished Len and Miku a happy life. They were all crying, except for Len. When Luka turned, Miku tried to follow her, but then Len grabbed her arm, and at once everything about Len flooded back into Miku's mind, and she was confused all over again, and she merely rode back, numbly, with Len, to her father's house, and Miku's father had tutted and asked her about what happened in the theater, and Miku laughed then.

Her life seemed so different from before Luka and after Luka.

And now that there was no Luka...

Miku sighed and stared down at her hands. Len did not want her to sing anymore. He said that it reminded him too much of dark times...but song was the only way Miku could connect to Luka now, even if she couldn't hear her. Luka was in Miku's heart and mind now, permanently. She haunted her dreams and her thoughts, and Miku would wonder at what could have been, and she once again deplored her old self for being so foolish, so stupid, so as to turn down Luka. She could not even visit her - Len had strictly forbidden it. He was afraid of losing her, it seemed.

Miku closed her eyes. She should have been braver. But it was too late now.

"Somehow I don't think any of us are meant to have a happily ever after," Miku said, softly, to the empty air around her.

-o-o-o-

Curiosity killed the cat, Miriam had said.

A promise made by a rash eight year old was no promise at all, Meiko had said.

Luka sat back in the basement for the first time in a few months. It seemed alien to her now. She was, Luka observed clinically, going to die soon. She sighed and got up from the couch, making her way over to the coffin.

She paused at the sight of the door to Miku's room in the basement, and stared at it. She could almost imagine that Miku was still inside there. She could, if she deluded herself enough, almost smell Miku's scent, and almost hear the sound of Miku's voice.

But it was nothing more than illusions, and Luka was tired of living in lies. She turned away from the door.

Luka did not realize how much she had missed Meiko and Kaito until she left to see them. Seeing them again had been a shock. Meiko was an infamous serial killer, although Luka did not know why. She suspected that Kaito's dietary habits had something to do with it. The two had always been close...

Luka's heart ached at the thought. Meiko and Kaito had solace in each other. Luka had solace in no one.

And she was going to die, alone and forgotten.

Luka sighed and walked over to her coffin bed, before hesitating.

Perhaps it would not hurt to make one last lie.

-o-o-o-

Luka slipped into the bed she constructed for Miku for the first time, and took a deep breath. The sheets smelled musty and old, although there was some small scent of Miku lying in there.

Pathetic.

After all this, Luka still could not get over Miku, it seemed.

No matter. She could pretend. She was very good at pretending by now.

Luka closed her eyes and pretended, the smell of Miku's abandoned sheets growing into her own personal world of illusion.

Miku and Luka were together, married. Miku was holding Luka's hand, lovingly, gently.

"I love you," Miku said in a dream, so vivid it seemed real.

"I love you too," Luka said back. She was not wearing her mask.

Miku bent over and kissed Luka, softly, on the lips, before withdrawing.

Luka smiled. Something was pounding in her head. She recognized it as her old master, Death. So impatient.

Well, Luka had always been punctual.

She answered, and Death took his apprentice into his arms...

And so ends the tale of the infamous ghost of the theater.

_fin._

* * *

**It's over! I didn't know if I wanted to have a happy ending for this or not, but since I planned to have a sad end from the start, I decided to go with the sad end. Thanks for all your support! XDD If people want, I do have a much longer happy ending written up - if you want to read that, let me know in a review or PM and I'll upload it. Hope you enjoyed the story! xD **


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